Open Heart
by Lady Jazmyne
Summary: Put on hold - no time set for the story to be picked up. Sorry guys!
1. Chapter 1

Kyo Kara Maoh

Disclamer: I do not own any of these characters! They belong to the creators of Kyou Kara Maoh. But this story is mine .

Authors Notes: Okay, before you read you must understand that I have yet to see the whole series. I have seen up to episdoe 74 and thats it. I am losely basing this fic off the series ending (which I have only heard through other fan fictions and rumors posted on the internet, so don't take my idea as what really happens in the series!) But I twisted things around a little bit and came up with this idea. If you like it, than please read and review! If you don't like it, tell me what you didn't like and I'll gladly put that into considersation. This is my first fan fic for this series and not to mention I haven't written anything in about two years. So if it is a bit jumpy, I apologize. .

Open Heart

Chapter One

Wolfram sighed, peering out the window that stood next to his large oak desk. The gardens below taunted him with sweet release from his current duties at hand. He knew that he should get back to the paper work sitting in front of him, but today he didn't feel much like reading over hundreds of the same complaints. It was a beautiful mid-summer day, the sun was hidden behind a light overcast and a cool breeze swept through the green trees which seemed to be motioning for the young prince to join them.

Turning away from the temptation, Wolfram went back to the piles of paperwork that needed to be sorted through. Growing up sure did have it's advantages, but along with those came the disadvantages. Such as this appointed task given to him by his oldest brother, Gwendal. Ever since Yuuri had left, Gwendal had taken up the responsibilities of the Maoh, giving Wolfram his old duty of sorting through the unwanted proposals and complaints. At first it hadn't been such a bad thing, but as the years carried on it had became tedious and unwanted task. Wolfram had came to a conclusion that the reason his eldest brother had became such a sour person was because he simply wasn't looking forward to the piles of paperwork that waiting for him every day. The young prince had often found himself sharing the same classic frown Gwendal often wore.

Wolfram bowed his head as his hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache developing and that simply was the last thing he needed right now. He still had his duties to attend to, make sure the new recruits were being trained properly; he also had to make his rounds across the castle grounds to make sure nothing was out of place. There had been some rumors within the past couple of weeks of spies within the castle walls and he had decided upon himself to make sure no threat came into the castle.

_Even though it really doesn't matter any more..._ The prince thought, picking up the quill pen once again. There was no more king to protect. No more duty to the Maoh. The blond felt the old twinge of pain deep in his chest, he had become so good at pushing it aside and ignoring the unwanted effects. Yuuri had made his decision, he had chosen his home world, Earth. There was nothing Wolfram could do but to accept the fact the wimp would never come back and move forward with his life. It had been twenty years after all since he had last seen the double black man.

But that didn't mean the image of the man he loved never left him. He would dream about him at night sometimes, remembering the kind smile and compassionate eyes he had grown to adore. He would recall memories of the past in the most inappropriate times. But as the years grew longer and the prince grew older, he came to a silent conclusion that he had to eventually forget Yuuri, for the sake of his sanity. He had to forget that he had ever loved that boy.

With a small sigh, Wolfram placed the quill pen back into the ink and stood. Grabbing his green jacket that hung neatly on the back of his chair he stepped out of the office. Pulling his arms through the sleeves and fastening the black buttons, he walked down the hallways toward his private chambers. His thoughts drifted back to Yuuri, remembering how his heart had shattered as he watched Yuuri step through that portal with The Great Sage and his older brother. He remembered calling his loves name as tears had streamed down his cheeks, wishing to get one last glance at his King. Yet, Yuuri didn't turn around, instead he made his choice and leapt through the portal for the last time, abandoning everyone that had grown to love him. It had been in that moment a part of the young prince died.

Weeks had passed and yet Wolfram waited for Yuuri's return. He would get up in the mornings, dress and head to the fountain in the previous Shinou's shrine fountain. He would sit there all day, watching the water to see if anything changed, but nothing did. Weeks turned into months and months turned into years before the young prince came to the heart wrenching conclusion that Yuuri was not to return. That was when the war started.

It had been a shock to the whole kingdom when the human country, Chivron, announced war upon the demon race. It was even more of shock when some of the human allies Yuuri had gained turned against them and joined Chivron's cause. They had stated that the demons were weak, that not only did their king abandoned them, but they hadn't announced a new heir to the thrown. In this weakness, they had seen cause to take the opportunity and wage war. Even though growing up as a child there had been war, Wolfram had never been in a direct war. He had never seen such carnage, such violence and hatred. The battles still very fresh in his young mind, the blood never really coming off his hands. Those were the memories he truly wanted to forget, however his dreams often reminded him of those painful years.

Reaching the doors to his chambers, Wolfram let himself in and closed the door behind him. The current issues coming back to his thoughts. He walked over to the dark oak dresser where he could peer at himself in the mirror. _If Yuuri could see me now._ He gave a small chuckle at that thought. Even through the years, his beauty did not leave him. He had grown his blond hair out to his shoulders, tying it back with a black tie. His eyes had lost their innocence, but the fire still burned in those emerald mists. His face had grown longer, resembling his brothers more than his mother now. His shoulders had grown broader and with all the training he had put himself through, he had filled out quite nicely. He had truly became a man.

His eyes darted to the surface of the dresser where a letter sat. Picking up he went to his bed, opening it as he sat down. He had already read the contents at least a dozen times, but still he briefed over the printed words. Even though the war had ended and a truce had been formed, both humans and demons laid on extremely shaky ground. At any moment, either side could offend the other and truce would be shredded into bits as a new war would follow. That is why Gwendal had approached his youngest brother four weeks ago with a strange, if not demanding, request.

Wolfram frowned at the memory and folded the letter back, shoving it underneath his pillow. It had been determined that this had been the demon's only choice to ensure the future of their kingdom. Their safety net, as the young prince came to think of it. Even though he wasn't 100 positive about the whole ordeal, he had decided it would be best for the kingdom. He was to marry the princess of the human country Chivron to ensure long lasting peace. The letter had been sent from the king to confirm the engagement and had announced that Wolfram would be expected within the next month.

Laughter outside of Wolfram's door brought the blond out of his thoughts. Sounds of people running down the halls further perked his curiosity. Standing, Wolfram made his way his door and opened it to see some of the servants running down the halls with smiles plastered upon their mouths. A guard ran past him and the young prince frowned.

"Oi, you solider!" The solider stopped automatically at the sound of his commanders voice and turned to salute.

"Yes sir!" He responded automatically. Wolfram closed the door behind him before approaching the young solider. He couldn't be much older than the young prince.

"What in Shinou's name is going on here?" He motioned toward a few more people running past him to emphasize his point. The solider couldn't keep his smile from forming as he stood as straight as he could.

"The king has returned, sir! He is in the courtyard as we speak, sir!" Wolfram felt his heart stop and fall into the pit of his stomach. It couldn't be, there was no way he had returned after so long. Not bothering to excuse the young solider, Wolfram ran past him at full speed. Dodging others who were laughing with joy and heading to the courtyard.

Blood pounded in his head as he ran down the stairs to the main entrance. With each step he took, his legs felt heavier and his head begun to feel dizzy with anticipation. It was almost like a dream, if it be a nightmare or not. He couldn't help but feeling the excitement that others where sharing, yet at the same time he couldn't force the dread and the anger down as he pushed through the double doors leading to the fountain. Part of him wanted nothing more than to have Yuuri standing there with that idiotic smile plastered upon his lips, but another part of him wanted to cry.

A small crowd of soldiers, servants and some of the kitchen staff where standing around the fountain. Coming to a stop at the end of the crowd, Wolfram looked around for his brothers but found nothing. Letting a small frown corss his lips, the prince pushed through the crowd.

"Let me pass!" Wolfram shouted, the people slowly parting as they saw their Lord making his way through the crowd. The prince came to a stop when the fountain stood in front of him. He saw Conrart standing with his back to him, helping someone out of the fountain. Gwendal stood to the other side, arms crossed with a unplaceable look upon his face. Others where there, Anissina and her three maids stood close to the left hand side and he spotted Gunter's step-daughter Giesela near his oldest brother, her hand to her chest.

Wolfram felt his feet move on their own. His heart beat the only thing he could hear pounding through his head. He watched as if in slow motion as Conrart pulled someone out of the fountain. He felt a sharp pain stab at his heart as his brother moved out of the way to reveal double black. It was Yuuri. He stood there soaking wet, but Wolfram could never mistake that smile for someone else. He had grown older, stronger. He stood perhaps about an inch below Conrart, his hair still as short and his eyes still filled with the same truth and love the young prince remembered.

He moved to the edge of the crowd as Yuuri glanced over to him. Yuuri's eyes went wide as they met the prince's emeralds depths. It was only a moment that their eyes held each other, but to Wolfram it had felt like a life time. He hadn't realized that Yuuri had been closing the distance between them, and he felt his heart stop when the young man's arms wrapped around him.

"Wolfram!" Yuuri stated, pulling him closer and tightning the embrace. The prince stood there dumb-strucked. If this had been twenty years earlier, the prince would have been returning the embrace, but now he felt numb inside. "I've missed you..." Yuuri whispsered, which sent chills down the prince's back.

Gently breaking the embrace, the blond stood back and bowed his head. "Welcome back Heika." Was all he allowed himself to say. He turned to his brothers, and gave them a small nod. "I will inform the rest of the kingdom that the Maoh has returned." He bowed his head and turned to leave. He needed any excuse to leave, he could feel the tightness in the back of his throat and the stinging in his eyes. A hand caught him around his left wrist, preventing the prince from his escape. He turned to see two black eyes starring at him, and what he saw in there made him want to curl into a ball and die.

"Wolfram..." Yuuri's voice gave away his emotion that the prince had seen in his eyes. Sadness, asking something from the blond. Wolfram turned his head to the side, pulling his hand away from the Maoh and turned to leave once again.

"Things have changed, Heika." He stated calmly before exiting through the crowd. Wolfram promised himself one thing before he entered the castle once again, he would not let himself cry.

Authors Notes: So, tell me what you think! I have chapter 2 ready, so if people seem interested in this, I'll upload the next chapter


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters! They belong to the creators of Kyo Kara Maoh! But I do own this story .

Authors Notes: Wow O.o I really didn't expect people to like this story. But wow, thank you all for your support! Here is Chapter Two with Chapter Three well on its way!

Yuka Hasumi: It is suppose to be Chivron because I didn't want to involve any of the known countries into the war, simply because I do not know the true out come of the series. I didn't want that type of confusion. So I apologize for the mix up in the two common names ;; If this provides to be a problem, I could change in into Cimaron.

Jenninani: I am glad that you liked this fan fic's start. And you are right, it was more of an introduction than a chapter, but none the less it leads well into chapter two. And I had no idea about that "random fact" from the novel, thats really interesting for Wolf's character, I will try to keep that in mind. Thank you!

To everyone else who reviewed, thank you and I hope that you enjoy this next chapter! I welcome critique as well as praise! LOL .

Open Heart

Chapter Two:

Yuuri had been given a simple pair of brown pants with a white shirt to wear. Originally, they had offered him his high school uniform but after a few moments of trying it on, it came apparent that he had grown out of the smaller uniform. After he had changed, Yuuri was lead back to his old room by a guard, Conrad saying he would catch up with him in a moment. But his thoughts weren't on his godfather as he walked through the old and familiar hallways.

His thoughts had turned to a certain blond prince. When he had caught a glance of his fiancé through the large crowd, he felt as if his heart was about to explode. The young prince was no longer a boy; he had grown into that of a man. His hair had grown longer and his eyes were deeper. Wolfram had grown even more beautiful to Yuuri's surprise. Yet, the expression the prince had worn brought a troubled frown to the king's lips. It had been as if Wolfram had seen a ghost and the lack of response from him troubled Yuuri even more. Wolfram had even called him by his title of King and not by his name, which had hurt a bit but Yuuri had decided to let it go. He would talk to his fiancé later that night, perhaps at dinner.

Another thing that had bothered Yuuri was the lack of Gunter and his adopted daughter Greta. He was sure his silver haired adviser would still be clinging to him stating how much he adored Yuuri. Yet, no sign of him had been seen thus far. Perhaps he had been out of the castle? And where was Greta? He wanted to give his daughter the tightest hug and beg for forgiveness for being away for so long. Perhaps she had gone out with Gunter?

His thoughts came to a halt when the man leading him motioned to the familiar door of his room. Yuuri gave a nod and thanked the young man before turning to the large oak door. Yuuri walked into his old room in Blood Pledge castle. Nothing had changed; it was as if he had never left. He lifted his hand and touched the carvings on the poles of the huge canopy bed that he had slept in five years ago. A small smile touched his lips as he sat down on the soft mattress, running his hand across the soft material of the comforter. He gave a small sigh and looked around the large room that he had once called his own. Had it really been so long?

"Heika." Yuuri turned to the familiar voice, to see Conrad standing in the open door way with a small smile placed upon his lips. His godfather had grown older, but not by much. Yuuri could see the fine wrinkles at the corner of his eyes and how his hair seemed to be a bit thinner. Besides these fine details, Conrad looked exactly as he remembered him.

"It's strange…" Yuuri commented, gesturing to the room around them. "It doesn't feel like I've left at all." He turned back to the commander with a smile of his own, but it quickly faded when he saw the sorrow appear on Conrad's face.

"How long do you think you've been gone?" Conrad asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. Yuuri gave him a questionable look as he watched the man approach the bed.

"That's an odd question. It's only been five years." Yuuri stated matter-of-factly. Conrad graced the king with another small, sad smile.

"Heika, it's been five years on Earth." He turned to the look into the room so that Yuuri couldn't see the pain he had felt inside. "Here, twenty years have passed since you left." It took Yuuri a moment to understand what Conrad had said. Twenty years? But that couldn't be right, he had only been gone five…

Yuuri's eyes went wide with the realization of what had happened. How come he hadn't thought about it? The time that passed here passed much quicker than that on Earth. He would spend a few days with his family and return to find that two weeks had passed. His felt cold inside as he turned to look at his godfather once again, the man was looking at him with a gentle smile on his face. _Don't look at me like that…_Yuri felt sick and turned his head away. Had he been this much of an idiot not to realize this sooner?

"I had no idea Conrad." Was all he could muster up to say. When the gentle hand was placed upon his shoulder he felt himself break. Conrad had always been so forgiving, always there for the young King. Yet, Yuuri couldn't help but feel sick at the touch. He abandoned everyone for twenty years? What had happened during his absence? What changed? The hand squeezed his shoulder gently, forcing Yuuri to look up once again.

"The past is behind us now that you have returned." He said gently, taking a seat next to his godson. "But there are things that have happened that you need to know, Heika." Yuuri nodded weakly, not bothering to correct the man on his formalities, he felt to ill to say much of anything.

"But for right now I think it is best if you take a bath and get something to eat. Gwendal and I will discuss the happenings in your absence later this evening." The commander slowly stood, patting the young man on the head and giving him a reassuring smile. "I am glad that you have returned." With that, he turned and left the room to the young King.

Wolfram paced in his room, his hands tugging again and again at the hem of his uniform jacket. His heart was still pounding in his ears and his shoulders had become stiff. He couldn't make sense of this situation. He couldn't understand any of this. Through out the last twenty years, Wolfram had matured into the general his eldest brother had always wanted him to be. He had learned to strategize a plan of action throughout all his situations, but this one…he couldn't get his racing thoughts to calm down enough to even begin to understand the situation.

He was back. Yuuri had returned. A growl escaped the blond's throat at the memory of the goofy smile that had been plastered upon his king's face. How dare he come back with such a positive attitude! Didn't he understand the magnitude of this situation? Didn't he understand that he had abandoned them all?! He felt his eyes burn with the threat of tears and he shook his head and pushed the thought out of his head. He would not cry, he decided a long time ago that he would never shed another tear for that idiotic man.

Straightening his uniform, Wolfram turned to leave his room to start the necessary preparations to inform the kingdom that the king had returned. He would have to send a letter out to Greta, he was sure the young woman would be ecstatic that her other father had finally returned. Wolfram cursed at the thought of Greta, and clenched his hands into fist, feeling his fingernails dig into his palms. How many nights did Wolfram stay up with her as a child as she cried herself to sleep because everyone thought Yuuri would never return. Slowly, Wolfram's surprise was turning into that of hatred.

The prince exited his room and shut the door behind him. He needed to calm down; acting upon his anger was something of the past. He had learned to control the irrational part of him, but that didn't mean it wasn't still there. Straightening himself and raising his head, the proud general made his way down the hall to where Gwendal's office resided. He was sure his eldest brother was already issuing out orders for people to follow, and as a solider, it was his duty to report.

He turned a corner in time to see Conrart walking down the hallway. He stopped and nodded to his brother who returned his gesture with a small smile. "Wolfram, I was heading over to see you. May I have a word?" His brother asked, closing the distance between them.

"Yes, of course brother." Wolfram nodded and Conrart motioned to a set of double doors that lead to a balcony. Pushing the doors open, Wolfram leaned over the railing to see the courtyard below. People were still standing around, the laughter and happy conversations barely reaching his ears.

"The Heika believes he has only be gone for five years." Conrart took his position next to his youngest brother, eyes also scanning the courtyard. "I have informed that it has been twenty years since we last saw him." The blond prince scuffed, narrowing his emerald eyes.

"It would have been better for everyone if he had just stayed on his damned world." Wolfram spat, standing straight and crossing his arms across his chest. His brother didn't turn to him; instead he let out a small sigh.

"I understand your...resentment...for him, Wolfram. However, remember that your duty is now to him. He is your king." The young prince glared daggers into his brother back, hoping that he felt it in some type of magnitude. "And…I think it might be best not to mention Gunter at the moment."

Wolfram's eyes went wide for a moment. He felt his heart clench at the mention of the silver haired man and turned his head to the side. "I understand." He whispered, before turning to leave. "And what about my engagement to the princess?" He stated, looking over his shoulder to see Conrart looking at him with a sad smile.

"I will leave that to you to discuss with him." Wolfram nodded and walked off the balcony and into the hall again. He knew that it was his responsibility, but the fact of the matter is that he had no desire to explain to Yuuri what the past twenty years had done to him.

The prince reached his destination and entered into Gwendal's office, knocking only once to inform his brother someone was coming in. Gwendal sat at his desk, nodding at Wolfram as he came in. He reached for a piece of paper, folded it and extended his hand for the prince to take.

"Take four of your own with you." He instructed as the blond took the piece of paper. He unfolded and read the words written there. "Do it in haste, if anyone asks anymore than you instruct, state all questions will be answered the day after marrow." Wolfram nodded, folding the piece of paper and placing it in the pocket of his jacket.

"Will you attend dinner tonight? Or do you leave the rest of us to suffer his presence?" Wolfram questioned, watching his brother's face for some type of reaction. Gwendal nodded, attending to the papers in front of him.

"I will be attending dinner. Conrart and I wish to discuss the events the Heika has missed in his absence." Wolfram frowned; there was nothing behind his brother's cold eyes. There hadn't been anything there for a long while now.

"You don't blame him, do you." He stated, and when he received no answer, the blond prince excused himself and left. His brother might not blame the Heika, but he sure as hell did. If Yuuri had never left, none of this would have happened.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the city surrounding the castle. He was assigned the duty of reporting the return of the King to the people. He had picked four of his best soldiers, knowing that they would act in as much haste as his eldest had instructed. The city quickly became uproar of questions, glee and shouts. He informed the citizens that all questions would be answered in time and that for now they should celebrate the return of their king.

Wolfram busied himself with his duties instead of letting his mind wonder to him. He had better things to do than to get angry. He still had his daily chores to attend to before dinner, which he was not completely sure he was going to attend at all. To sit in the static atmosphere would be enough to drive anyone insane, and he wasn't quite sure if he had the patience for such a thing today.

When the sun started touching the peeks of the mountains in the horizon, the prince called for his men and retreated back into the castle gates. The first thing he would do was to write to Greta and inform her that Yuuri had returned. Perhaps the letter would fail in reaching her and he wouldn't have to deal with the sadness he knew his daughter would feel. Yuuri had missed so much and he knew the idiot would make a big deal over it.

Greta had married six years ago to a young duke in the outskirts of the demon lands. The two had met during the last stages of war when the duke had attended a meeting to conclude the treaty at hand. He was a strong man, with dark brown hair with equally dark green eyes. In Wolfram's opinion, the man had been a bit of a dimwit, but when he watched the two together he saw that Greta was truly happy. So when the man had came to him asking for his daughter's hand in marriage, Wolfram shook his hand and congratulated them both on such a perfect match. Two years later, Greta informed her father that he was to be grandfather to a baby girl named Kathlyne.

A small smile crossed his lips when he thought about his granddaughter, she was such a bouncy little girl filled with so much happiness. She was the main reason he had agreed to the proposal of the arranged marriage with the princess, so that she would never have to grow up in a time of war. It would be refreshing to see the happy family again; it had been months since he had last seen Greta and Kathlyne.

After dismounting his horse, he handed the reigns to the care keeper and headed toward the entrance of the castle. He would write to Greta before dinner was ready, so that she could arrive within the week. He also had to write to his mother, if Gwendal had not already done so, and inform her that the Yuuri had returned. He was sure his mother would cause just as big of seen as the rest of the castle had.

_In the very least, _Wolfram thought as he entered his office, _this is a good excuse to have everyone home again. _


	3. Chapter 3

Authors Notes: Once again, I am amazed at how many people reviewed! So thank you all in advance! It makes me want to write more to fulfill your request to update sooner! Though, I believe in this chapter some of you will grow to hate me! tremble tremble Let me start by saying this, I did what I had to do! I love Gunter and I think he is an awesome character, but I did what I did for Gwendal later on in the story! So please, don't hate me!!

Onto answering questions!!

Yuka Hasumi: I'm glad that the whole Chivron vs Cimaron isn't to confusing. And yet, you point out another very interesting detail! Your right, it should be 25 years if Yuuri had been gone for 5... sigh Now I need to go back and fix that. Perhaps I will after I post this? Thank you for pointing that out to me!

Jazzieness: Woah, that is very strange! I hope that our stories are different enough so that you can post yours and allow me to read it! I guess two great minds think a like, huh? I'd love to read your story, it would be very interesting to see how the two are different! Soul Mates? That is very deep! It is strange though on how our stories are similar and the same with our names. My name is Jazmyne, pronounced like Jasmine. I hope that you like the story though and I hope there are enough differences so that you feel comfortable with posting it!

Bananam00n: I wish I could read French sigh I bet its an awesome story. I hope that mine is satisfactory though. Thank you for taking time and reading it! And the whole thing with Conrart, he is half mazoku and he ages half as fast as humans right? So I came up with this idea that Conrart was perhaps in his mid-twenties by appearance so twenty years would only equal ten to him, so I estimated that he would be in his mid-thirties by appearance. If this doesn't seem right, I can always go back and change it smile .

To everyone else who reviewed, thank you for taking time and reading my fan fic! I hope you all enjoy the next chapter as much as you've enjoyed the first two! Chapter four is well on its way. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Kyo Kara Maoh characters! Though, I do own this story!

xxxxxxxxxxx

Open Heart

Chapter Three:

Yuuri sat at the dinner table with Conrad to his left and Gwendal two seats away. There was no sign of Wolfram or anyone else for that matter. He looked nervously at both of his companions and noticed that Gwendal was avoiding eye contact and Conrad was still sharing that small sad smile. He wanted to say something, anything that could lighten the mood but the only thing that would come to his mind was begging forgiveness, yet that didn't exactly seem to be the right thing to do at the moment.

Yuuri's head shot up when the door opened, the other two occupants at the table following pursuit. Wolfram entered the room, letting the door close behind him. He eyed the table for a brief moment, eyes narrowing slightly as they came upon Yuuri. The king felt himself swallow the lump that had developed the moment the prince had entered and adverted his eyes elsewhere. If the atmosphere hadn't been uncomfortable before, it certainly was now.

Wolfram sat down in front of Yuuri, placing the cloth napkin down on his lap. Yuuri looked up with a small bit of surprise and glanced over to the empty seat at his right. Wasn't that Wolfram's seat? He looked back to the prince and recoiled at the glare that met his eyes. Okay, so perhaps now wasn't the best time to ask the prince his choice in seating. The king's eyes drifted to where Gunter would have joined them and noticed the chair had been removed along with the table setting that had always been there.

He turned to the man at his left and motioned to the empty place setting. "Is Gunter not here?" He questioned. Conrad turned his attention to Gwendal who didn't meet his glance.

"Heika, there are some-"

"You are such an idiot." Yuuri's eyes flew over to Wolfram who was now standing, both hands placed firmly upon the table. His green eyes narrowed and blazing with the fire within. "Do you not know when to hold that idiotic tongue of yours? Or has twenty years done nothing for your maturity level?!" Yuuri's eyes went wide as the prince sat himself back down and crossed his arms across his chest.

"I was just asking where Gunter had gone." Yuuri replied more quietly, turning his gaze down to the table, his fingers fiddling with the table cloth.

"Everything will be discussed after dinner." Gwendal replied sharply, "All your questions shall be answered there, Heika." Why did it feel like everyone in this room hated him? Did they not understand that he had only been fifteen years old when he had to make that choice? Didn't they understand he hadn't been ready to leave his family behind, or let the only life he had ever known fade into the background? He could feel burning in the back of his throat as he fought to control the consuming emotions inside.

The rest of dinner was filled with silence. Yuuri didn't look up to meet anyone's eyes nor did he really touch the dinner in front of him. Wolfram was the first to leave, stating he had unfinished business to attend too. When he had finished, Gwendal and Conrad had motioned him to follow them into Gwendal's office. Once inside, Conrad offered Yuri to sit down and he himself took another seat next to his king. Gwendal was the first to speak.

"You have been absent for twenty years." Yuuri nodded, already knowing this. "In this time, the Sin Makoku has faced many hardships." Yuuri raised his gaze to the serious man in front of him. Cold, empty purple eyes stared back at him.

"Many…hardships?" He questioned, his gaze turning to Conrad who nodded in agreement.

"Once you had left, Heika, turmoil broke out on who would resume the thrown." Conrad took over, placing a warm hand on the young man's shoulder. "In this, many of our neighboring countries had broken their alliances, stating we had been weak since our king had…left us. In this, there was a human country called Chivron."

"Chivron declared war upon the demon kingdom, stating that we had no reason to be acknowledged as a country since we no longer had a king." Gwendal stated, beginning to pace a little bit, his arms falling behind his back. "In this, many of the human treaties that your majesty had worked for sided with Chivron, agreeing in their argument. A war of six years began, many cities were destroyed, and many lives where lost."

Yuuri stared in disbelief at his two advisers. A war? Of six years? He shook his head; it was too much to take in. How could a war break out because of his absence? It just didn't make any sense. He had worked so hard to achieve the peace through out this world, ensuring treaties amongst humans and demons alike. He had wanted nothing more than to unite this world and with his absence, everything had crumbled. He wanted to scream, pull his hair out and cry all at the same time. He didn't want to believe any of this.

"What…about Gunter?" He looked over to Conrad than to Gwendal, his racing thoughts seemed to center upon the silver haired adviser. He silently prayed to any Gods listening that nothing happened to him. He felt his heart clench as Gwendal and Conrad refused to met his eyes.

"Gunter had joined the forces, along side all of us. He was leading an attack on the northern hills of Chivron when they were ambushed by a large number of soldiers from one of Chivron's allies." Conrad explained, he bowed his head for a moment and turned to look into Yuri's wide eyes. "No one survived the attack."

Oh God no…Yuri's hands flew to his mouth, feeling his breath catch in his throat and the tears leave his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. It couldn't be, there was no way Gunter had died. It just wasn't possible. He shook his head and stood, looking to Conrad demanding him to tell him otherwise with his eyes.

"Heika…" Conrad stood, offering his hand to the young man. Yuuri stepped away from it, shaking his head. Gunter had died in a war that had been caused because of his absence. It was his fault that Gunter was dead. His fault! Yuuri turned and fled from the room, the doors slamming shut behind him as he ran down the hall. It was his fault, all his fault all of that had happened and now that he was back, everyone hated him. Blaming him for their hurt, their tears and all the losses they had to endure.

xxxxxxxxxxx

_"You shouldn't be out here." Conrart stated calmly as he joined his youngest at the water fountain. Wolfram didn't look to his brother, instead he dropped another stone into the calm water. "You do have duties to attend too..." He quirked an eyebrow to see if he could get any reaction out of the young prince. _

_Wolfram knew he had duties to attend to. He knew he had soldiers to train, and other such duties that needed his attention, yet he did not feel like doing any of that. What if he was away from the fountain and Yuuri came back? There were no more priestess to welcome him, no more Great Sage to insure his safety. It was his duty as his fiance to wait for him. He nodded to himself, confirming his own thoughts._

_"Wolfram," the prince gave an inward groan, he knew that tone his brother wore. It was the tone that readied the listener for a lecture. "The Heika has made his choice, to return to earth. You have to understand this, accept his decision and move on. I know it is hard and we all secretly wish that he would return, but the reality of this situation is that he wont." Wolfram turned to glare at his brother. How dare he say Yuuri was not to return! How dare he state that their king had abandoned them! _

_"Do not speak of my fiance in such a way Weller!" Wolfram spat, turning back to the water. "He has too much here to abandon us. He has Greta, his responsibilities as the Maoh and he has his engagement to me." He concluded, nodding once again to confirm his words. _

_"Wolfram..." the older man sighed, wanting nothing more than to help his youngest brother to understand this situation. "And if he doesn't return?" He questioned gently, not wanting to upset the prince but knowing that in due time Wolfram would have to face reality._

_"He will return. I know he will." Was all Wolfram said. He had promised himself that he would not cry. He had told himself that if Yuuri would not return, he would not cry. But the stinging in the back of his throat brought on by the uncertainty in his words stated otherwise. _

Wolfram pinched the bridge of his nose as he chased off the unwanted memory. He didn't want to remember those days any more. He didn't want to recall the pain he had faced when the realization that Yuuri wouldn't return had hit him. He looked up into the stars that blinked at him brightly. The night air was cool, feeling good against his face.

After excusing himself from dinner with the lame excuse of attending to other duties, the prince had went to his chambers to vent. After several curses and random things flying through the air, Wolfram had decided it was probably best if he resigned to bed for that evening. He had spent a good amount of time in the baths, letting the hot water relax his tense muscles. It had been a long and extremely tiring day. Yet, after twenty minutes of tossing and turning in his bed, Wolfram knew that sleep would not claim him. With that concluded, that prince pulled on a pair of dark brown pants, his boots and a simple white button up shirt and found himself out in the royal gardens. That was when the memories had hit him at full force.

He closed his eyes, letting his hand run through his hair. He needed to cut it, he had let it grow out of control again. He had always preferred his shorter hair, easier to maintain and care for. Though the long hair did have it advantages...A small smirk played at his lips as some more pleasurable memories came to the surface.

His thoughts were interrupted at the sound of someone approaching the garden at high speed. His hand instantly went to his hip where his sword was to be but cursed when he found nothing. He had forgotten to strap it on in the haste of the evening and growled as he ducked behind some bushes. Could he have been any more of a moron? He felt his shoulders tense, not with the anticipation of an attack but at who had entered the garden.

Yuuri stood there, gasping for breath, his left hand pressed up against one of the trees for balance. Wolfram felt his heart clench when he noticed tears sliding down his face and that his shoulders shook. He was crying. He watched silently at Yuuri crumbled to the ground, resting his back against the tree as his hands clutched at his hair. The young prince felt his old desires seeping through the wall he had built. He wanted to comfort Yuuri, to wipe his tears away and whisper that everything would be okay. Instead, the blond bit his bottom lip and turned his head from the scene in front of him.

Yuuri had never welcomed his presence, what would be the difference now? Every time the blond had gone to help Yuuri, the King had gone to his half brother instead. He had envied their relationship on so many accounts that now as he heard Yuuri's sobs he silently wished he was some where else. What was he to do? Go to him as Wolfram, his ex-fiance? Or go to him as the general he now was? Tell him to tough it up and get over it? That everyone went through hardships and now he had to grow up and accept his own? The blond shook his head and gave a small sigh.

Slowly stepping out from behind the bush, Wolfram made his way to the fallen King. Yuuri's head shot up, tears still falling down his cheeks. The prince winced inwardly at the sight and gave a small smile, he hadn't changed at all. He was still that 15 year old boy who's emotion was clearly stated in those dark depths. The kind, gentle soul was still intact. Wolfram offered him his hand and gave a small sigh.

"Come on, Heika." He stated, "Crying there like the wimp you are will do nothing." He was rewarded by a small laugh as Yuuri took his hand and was helped to his feet.

"I'm not a wimp." Yuuri replied, wiping the tears away and dusting off his pants. "And don't call me that, call me Yuuri." Wolfram only nodded as he made his way deeper into the garden. "Where are you going?"

"You will just have to follow me to find out." Wolfram replied, not bothering to turn to face him. He walked past a few statues, hearing Yuuri behind him. They walked in silence for a while, Wolfram leading the way. They past the gardens and made their way up a small hill, a large tree visible in the distance.

"Wolfram..." The prince looked over his shoulder to see Yuuri looking at him with that same strange look in his eyes he had seen at the fountain earlier that day.

"What?" He snapped, but quickly regretting it as Yuuri turned away. He didn't mean to snap, but his emotions had always been uncontrollable around this black haired man. Sighing, he turned to look ahead once again.

"You really hate me don't you?" Wolfram's shoulders tensed at the question whispered. He had barely heard it and he wasn't sure if it was meant to reach his ears at all. After a moment he decided not to answer it, not really knowing the answer himself. Instead, he let the air between them fall into an uncomfortable silence.

They made their way to the top of the hill where a large tree stood, it's branching

filled with dark green leafs and small dark purple flowers. It swayed gently in the air to welcome them and Wolfram felt a small smile cross his lips. He ran his hands across the rough bark and sighed, turning to Yuuri's questioning expression. He motioned him to follow and made his way around the large trunk where a beautiful shrine stood.

The prince watched as Yuuri walked past him and to the shrine, reading the words that marked the tree as the final resting place for Gunter von Klesit. Yuuri went to his knees, eyes wide at the flowers and candles that decorated the shrine. The tree blowing gentle as tears begun to fall down his cheeks once again. Wolfram left Yuuri to the memory of Gunter and pressed his back against the opposite side of the tree. He heard Yuuri whispering but he paid no attention to the hush words, knowing that it was for Gunter only. After a moment, the whispers stopped and Wolfram peeked over to see Yuuri standing.

Yuuri looked over to Wolfram and smiled, his eyes red and a bit puffy but the tears had stopped. "Thank you Wolfram." The prince nodded slightly, knowing that Yuuri had come to some type of understanding. He knew that Gunter's death would be hard for the young Moah but he was sure that Yuuri would come to terms with it, eventually.

"Come on, lets go back. Everyone is probably frantic that you disappeared..." _Again_, Wolfram added silently. He turned and started back for the castle but stopped when he noticed Yuuri wasn't following him. He turned to see the black haired boy looking at him with that strange emotion in his eyes. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" The prince asked, feeling heated under the stare.

"You've changed." Yuuri stated, a small smile pressing at at his lips. Wolfram quirked an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders.

"We've all changed." He replied, turning around so that he wouldn't have to stand underneath the intensity of his black eyes.

"No, I mean..." Yuuri began, walking over to the blond. "You've _changed._" Wolfram sighed and looked over to the Maoh. He was gently smiling at him, his eyes shinning from the spent tears.

"I'm not ready for this conversation yet, Heika." Wolfram stated, calmly if not a bit dry. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I still need to sort out my own feelings before we talk." Yuuri nodded, bowing his head slightly in understanding.

Wolfram lead the way back to the castle, letting the silence between grow. He knew that Yuuri had a million questions but that didn't mean that the young prince was ready to answer them. He had too many conflicting emotions raging inside of his heart to sit down with Yuuri and begin discussing the last twenty years. When they reached the gardens, the blond turned around to face Yuuri and gave a small bow.

"Good night Heika." Before Yuuri had a chance to correct him on his formalities, Wolfram turned and exited the gardens. He was tired, and the last thing he wanted to do was let Yuuri correct him on his use of labels.

xxxxxxxxxxx

A groan of frustration filled the room as Yuuri turned to lay on his back. He had been tossing and turning all night in the large bed. He could feel that his body was tired but his mind was relentless. Questions and images raped his thoughts as he desperately tried to find solitude in his dreams. Another groan filled the air as the first rays of daylight streamed through his large room. Was this his punishment? Was the Gods silently taking their revenge?

Kicking the blankets away and tossing his pillow off to the side, Yuuri decided the attempt of sleep was in vain. Perhaps if today proved to be exhausting, he would simply fall unconscious. Standing, the young Maoh mad his way to his dresser, pulling out the clothes he had worn the day before. He made his way into his private bathes and let a small sigh escape his lips. He had forgotten the magnitude of these bathes and how much he had actually missed them. It had always reminded him of the hot springs back home.

A small tinge of pain filled his heart at the memory of home. Now that is was only a memory. He had given up that life and had come back to Sin Makoku to fulfill his destiny. Yet, even though he had came back to this world, he felt just as much of stranger as he had the first time he was flushed the down the toilet. It was like he had to learn everything over again. Even the people he had grown to know as a second family seemed strange and foreign to him. And Gunter...Yuuri shook his head as he felt the tears threatening to return.

Stepping into the warmth of the water felt good, it felt even better when Yuuri had emerged himself completely. There was so much the young man had to catch up on. So much he had to repay. He knew his absence had caused a war of six years, and in that the people dear to him had changed. Gwendal appeared to be unreachable now, his eyes hidden behind cold exterior. Yuuri had remembered as a difficult man to begin with, his past not known and that frown always visible upon his thin lips. But now? Gwendal seemed to be a walking shell of the man he once was. Then there was Conrad. His godfather had always been a kind hearted man, and even though Yuuri could still see those traits visible in his face, the smile he wore was more often sad than that of reassuring. The young Maoh didn't even want to begin to think of how much of a disappointment he had been to his godfather. How, out of everyone else, Conrad had always been the one to support Yuuri and give him advice when needed. How much had he betrayed the commander when he had decided to leave?

And then there was Wolfram. Yuuri surfaced to breath again, feeling his heart ache at the thought of his fiance. He had been absent twenty years on this world, but to him it had only been five. During those five years Yuuri had come to many conclusions. One of those is that he missed Wolfram, he missed his friend, the companionship and heated arguments. He missed those emerald eyes and his beautiful blond hair. But he had changed, like the rest of them. He wasn't as quick to his anger nor was he threatening him with insults any more. He was more mature, but in that the prince had lost something. His eyes were no longer as bright and Yuuri hadn't seen him laugh or even give a true smile for that matter since his return. The prince was resembling more of the old Gwendal than the fiery blond Yuuri remembered.

Sighing, Yuuri slowly stood from the bath and wrapped the towel around his waist. Entering his room once again, the young man turned to his reflection starring back at him. He had changed as well. He had the same build his older brother Shori had at his age. He knew that the past five years had changed him. He had come to many personal realizations that had altered himself for the better. He believed that he could be the King everyone wanted him to be but he had a lot of repairing to do before he took that step.

The young man quickly dressed, pulling on a pair of boots and belt for around his waist. Closing the door behind him, Yuuri almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He quickly turned to see Conrad smiling back him.

"Oh, its just you." Yuuri gave a small sigh of relief. "You're up early Conrad?" The general gave a small chuckle.

"This is late for me, Heika. The morn has already passed. I am surprised to see you up and ready though." Yuuri placed his hand behind his head and gave a nervous chuckle. He wasn't about tell Conrad all about his sleepless night, the older man would only worry.

"Yea, I wanted to get an early start. You know, perhaps catch up on some things..." Yuuri half lied, he could have stayed in bed all morning, yet the restlessness had driven him to get out of bed. Conrad gave a knowing nod, before motioning them to start walking.

"I was hoping to catch you before you left, actually. I would like to talk to you sometime before breakfast." Yuuri looked over to the commander with a questioning eyes. "I want to apologize for last nights conversation, it was to much at once." Conrad stated, his eyes gently smiling. Yuuri shook his head in disagreement. He knew that he had to hear those things. It was only a matter of time before he would have had to know anyways. He preferred it all at once, that way he could come to terms with it instead of jumping onto a an emotional roller coaster.

"No, I understand why Gwendal and you did what you did. I am sure there is more that I have yet to learn. Wolfram brought me to Gunter's grave last night and we stayed up there for while. I made some peace, but I know that I will never forgive myself for...allowing it to happen..." Yuuri closed his eyes, pushing the pain away. He could feel himself getting choked up again and that was the last thing he needed.

"Wolfram brought you to his shrine?" Yuuri looked up to see the surprise on the commander's face. Yuuri only nodded before turning back to the hall they walked through.

"Yea, he caught me crying in the gardens and took me there. We really didn't talk much. When I wanted to talk he told me he wasn't ready. I mean, I know that I hurt him, but if we don't talk about it than how can we solve things?" He looked over to his godfather once again, begging him to give him the advice he desired. Conrad gave a small sigh before motioning toward a pair of doors off to the right hand side. It had been the same place Wolfram and him had talked yesterday.

Yuuri pushed open the doors and went over to the railing to look down. The courtyard was empty save for a few passing soldiers and servants. The sun was peeking over the rim of the mountains in the horizon, casting an odd blue twilight across the grounds. Conrad came and stood next to his godson, soaking in the morning's chilled air. Yuuri looked over to the commander and tilted his head to the side, silently wondering if his question was to be answered.

"The war changed most of us." Conrad began, turning to the courtyard below. "I have lived through a war before so I understood the hardships and pain I would have face. Same with Gwendal, even though some of the passing events hurt him deeper than any of us will understand. Though Wolfram grew up through a war but he was never directly in one. This was his first and..." Yuuri bit his bottom lip at the pain that flashed through Conrad's eyes. "And we had to watch as he was forced to become a man."

"So he hates me because I caused the war..." Yuuri concluded, sighing as he pushed his back against the railing.

"No, Heika. Wolfram could never hate you." Yuuri turned to see kind brown eyes starring back at him. "When you left, Wolfram waited for you. He would spend most of his days up at the old temple by the fountain and send anyone away with fireballs who tried to tell him otherwise. After he realized that you would not return, anytime soon, he vented through training. He became so withdrawn from everything and instead focused all of his emotions into the sword and into his magic. Than the war..." Yuuri could feel the guilt consuming him.

Yuuri looked down to his feet, fighting the tears that stung at his eyes. His thoughts focusing only on a blond prince. He imagined the Wolfram he had left, sitting at the fountain cursing his name but waiting none the less. He thought of the pain the prince had felt when he realized he wasn't coming back. He could see Wolfram committing himself to his sword, the sweat that replaced the tears. The blood that replaced the pain. Yuuri wrapped his arms around himself as he felt a cold chill run down his back. How badly had he hurt Wolfram?

"Heika..." Yuuri felt the warm hand placed upon his shoulder, but Yuuri shook it off. He didn't deserve to be comforted. Where was he when Wolfram felt betrayed? Where was he when the war started? Where was he when Gunter needed him? He was safe. He was finishing his schooling, he was laughing and playing with his friends. He was no where to be found. He had truly abandoned everyone.

"I think...I need some time to alone, Conrad." Yuuri replied calmly, pushing himself off the railing and heading back into the hall. He didn't turn when he heard his name called, instead he followed his feet, letting them lead him somewhere, anywhere those kind eyes couldn't follow him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Authors Notes: I have the flu! So I bet I can finish Chapter 4 today :-D If not by tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Notes:** I am so sorry for killing Gunter. He is one of my favorite characters as well, but he will play a roll later on in the story that deals with Gwendal's character. I promise! I will not put his memory to shame :-D. Here is chapter four that was very hard to write. I have the flu and I never dreamed that being this sick would prevent me from actually writing. But I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the past three. I tried for a lighter atmosphere for the most part, but once again the angst is apparent throughout it. Don't worry, this story will get happier but I have to get all of this stuff out in the beginning cause otherwise it wouldn't see as real!!

Onto answering reviews!

**Xemnas the Superior:** lol, I know what you mean by depressing music. I write this to all depressing music so that I don't trail off the mood of it. But it will get happier, I promise. I tried to add a bit of lighter air to this chapter though, even though some parts are depressing. And a past scene of Gunter's death? And you think it isn't depressing enough already?! Jeez...but I think I could add that in there some where. It would be very interesting, if not challenging to write. :-D Thanks for the advice!!

**Priestessmykala:** Aw, thanks. I'm feeling a bit better today though. I can start writing chapter five without feeling like I'm going to pass out!! O.o;;

**Yuur-eiri:** I'm glad that you liked this fic! I am so nervous about writing it because of all the depressing attributes. Especially since my English is not that good .;;

**Leuv: **Thank you! I love you for reading it :-D

**Jazzieness:** I know, he's one of my favorite characters as well. He has such a strong personality and it would have been fun to develop it a bit more. Yet, if no one had died in the war it would have seen a bit far fetched. Plus, I decided that for the sake of Gwendal's character, it would be a great chance to evolve him! But I'm glad that you enjoy it so far. Thank you for reading so far!

**Bananam00n:** The next chapter comes now, lol. Well, you might be a bit disappointed, but I'm feeling much better than I have been so chapter five might take a bit more time to write! Considering I have to go back to work and all of that O.o. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

And thank you to everyone else who has been reading this! Once again, I'd like to know if anyone has any ideas or critique because it is always welcomed. I hope that you all like this chapter and I'm done babbling!! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maoh does not belong to me, nor do these characters! I am simply writing a story and that is all :-D.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Open Heart

Chapter 4

Wolfram brought his sword up in time to counter attack, blocking his oponites sword. Bringing the sword up and and around, the prince clashed metal against metal and a small smirk pulled at his lips. The man in front of him fought against the blade pressing against his own, his eyes darting to the side than back up to the blond. Quickly taking a step forward, the prince twisted the blade up and around, knocking the sword out of the other's hand. He let a nasty chuckle escape his lips as he pressed the tip of his sword to the mans throat.

"Your attention should only be on me." He stated, withdrawing his sword. "If you hesitate, that is the moment you die. Your body, mind and spirit should be focusing on the battle at hand. If you wonder, your sword will fall and you find yourself on your back dead." The solider in front of him bowed before running to pick up his sword again.

Wolfram took his stance once again, watching as the new solider took his position in front of him. He had been sparring all morning, teaching the new recruits about the duties of being a solider and what it meant to hold a sword. He knew he was hard on his men, but that was one of the reasons they always came up on top. His men looked up to him, not only as a leader but as someone who understood what battle meant. He was fully prepared to teach them the pain of training and reward them greatly when they completely understood.

"You should let your men rest Wolfram." The prince turned to see his half brother Conrart approaching, his usual khaki uniform worn. Wolfram smirked before turning back to the solider in front of him.

"They do not deserve to rest. They haven't beaten me yet." He replied, a bit of teasing etched into his voice. The chuckle received from Conrart made the prince turn to him once again, placing a hand upon his waist. "And what is so funny, Weller?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"It is a challenge for me to beat you, and yet you say they can not rest until they knock the sword from your hand? You truly are a slave driver, young Wolfram." Conrart leaned against a wall near by, the shade protecting him from the harsh sun. "Besides, I believe you should let them rest so you have time to clean up and great your guest."

"Guest?" Wolfram asked, curiosity peeking over his determination to continue to spar. Conrart nodded, nodding to the entrance of the castle.

"Your daughter has been spotted at the entrance to the city. She should be here within the hour." The commander informed, pushing himself off the wall. "Unless of course, you'd like me to inform her that you are to busy teaching your men a lesson to great her?" Wolfram's eyes grew wide before he turned to his men, throwing them his sword.

"Clean this place up and report back to your duties! We shall continue this lesson on a later date." He ordered, picking up his navy blue jacket before joining his brother back to the castle. "Have you informed the Heika yet?" Wolfram asked, pulling his jacket on.

"No, not yet. He is busy with Gwendal at the moment." Wolfram only nodded, understanding that his eldest brother had taken up the responsibility of informing the Maoh of the past events.

It had been five days since Yuuri had returned to Shin Makoku. Wolfram had done his best to avoid the king, but he had bumped into him a few times in the last few days. He observed that Yuuri kept his distance from him, apologizing for being in his way and had quickly disappeared. He heard from Conrart that Gwendal had taken the position as Yuuri's personal teacher, stating that he had left his studies incomplete. Wolfram could only shudder at the thought of Gwendal teaching someone, he imagine it would involve a lot patience, for both of the men.

The young prince had resumed his duties as well. Attending to his paper work and to his men, making sure they kept up with their training. He hadn't heard anything from his daughter and had fallen under the presumption that the letter had been lost on its way to her. But as he said goodbye to his brother, he couldn't help the smile spreading to his lips as he made his way to the bathes. He had truly missed Greta and could hardly contain his excitement to see his bouncing granddaughter once again.

Wolfram had always been keen to children. They put his anxious soul to rest with their innocent laughter and smiling faces. When Yuuri had adopted Greta, Wolfram had found himself instantly found of her (after the threat of her hurting Yuuri disappeared, of course). He would always look forward to the brief periods of relaxation to read her a story or accompany her with a game. Despite all that had happened, Greta had turned out to be a lovely young woman. Filled with her father's fiery spirit and Yuuri's kind hearted nature. A small frown crossed his lips as a thought entered his mind, what would Yuuri do once he saw Greta again?

Entering the bathe, Wolfram quickly discarded his clothes and nearly jumped into the warm water. He let himself relax for a moment before beginning to scrub off the dirt and sweat acquired during training. As quickly as he had came in, the young prince was out. Wrapping a towel around his waist and throwing his dirty clothes into a bucket, Wolfram made his way to his room. The blond would usually of brought his change of clothes with him to the bathes, but in the haste of the moment, the blond had decided it would be quicker to bathe and head quickly to his room. Now, what the prince wasn't expecting was to run into someone when he turned the corner.

Wolfram stumbled back a bit, nearly losing his towel before gripping it tightly in one hand. Angry green eyes looked up to see black wide eyes and extremely red cheeks. Wolfram's anger disappeared as embarrassment overwhelmed all other emotions. "Yu-Heika!" The blond stated, gripping tighter at the towel around his waist.

"W-wolfram, uh...I..." Yuuri stuttered, looking anywhere but at the blond. "I was just, I mean...your all wet." Yuuri realized, now looking at the soaked hair clinging to the blond's shoulders and neck.

"Well, yes, I just left the bathes. Note why I'm wearing only a towel." Wolfram confirmed, a bit of annoyance in his voice. He arched an eyebrow as Yuuri continued to stare at his bare neck and chest. The blond shifted a bit uncomfortably at the intensity he saw in the black depths. "Now, if you excuse me..." Yuuri's eyes shot up to look at Wolfram before his cheeks became a brilliant shade of red as he stepped out of the way.

"Gomen..." The blond looked over his shoulder at the embarrassed Maoh and gave a small sigh.

"You should get ready as well Heika," Yuuri looked toward the prince with questioning eyes. "Greta is on her way home. She will be here shortly." Wolfram could barely contain the smile as he saw Yuuri's face light up, the largest smile spreading across his lips.

"Really? She's coming right now?!" Wolfram only nodded to confirm and shook his head as Yuuri turned to leave, waving goodbye to the blond. As he turned toward his room, the smile slowly turned into a small frown. Why had Yuuri been so transfixed to him a second before? He felt his heart leap and the general squished it quickly before entering his room to get ready.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yuuri could barely contain his excitement as he made his way to the entrance of the castle. He had quickly washed his face and hands before finding Conrad to confirm that his daughter was indeed coming home. He had learned from Gwendal that Greta had married to a duke six years ago and that she had a daughter four years ago. At first the young king had been near tears with the news of her marriage. He had missed so much and he could only imagine on how badly he had hurt his adopted daughter when he left to return to Earth. He knew that he had a lot of things to make up for, he could only hope that it wasn't to late.

When he arrived into the main hall, no one was there yet. Giving a small sigh, Yuuri rested his back against a near by pillar. Would she even recognize him? Would she forgive him? Would he even recognize her? Yuuri closed his eyes and tried to imagine the little girl he had left behind as a grown adult. Yuuri had to suppress his laughter as the image of his mother came into mind, but with Greta's child face replacing hers. He had no doubt that Greta had turned out to be a beautiful woman. He couldn't wait to meet her husband and her daughter. Perhaps with her home, things would start to return to normal.

"Papa!" Yuuri's eye shot open as he saw Wolfram, dressed in a clean uniform, descending down the hall. His eyes moved from the blond to a young child running toward him. Wolfram moved to a knee to scoop the young child up into his arms, twirling around before he embraced her tightly. "I missed you papa!" Yuuri felt his heart clench as Wolfram let a genuine smile spread across his lips.

The girl was no older than four, shoulder length dark red hair pulled back into pig-tails. She wore a simple white dress with a blue sash around her small waist. She had wide hazel eyes and the biggest smile Yuuri had ever seen. Wolfram moved her to his hip, his arm supporting her as her small arms wrapped around his shoulders. When did Wolfram become so natural looking when dealing with children? He looked so relaxed...and _happy_, Yuuri added as he watched the two.

Yuuri eyes moved toward the entrance of the castle. Some of the servants had come to great the family, bring in luggage to take to their rooms. But that wasn't what Yuuri was looking at. In the entrance stood a woman, wearing a light blue dress, the sleeves curving off her slim shoulders. Waist long auburn hair was pulled back loosely by a dark blue ribbon, beautiful hazel eyes smiling as she walked in. Yuuri couldn't breathe. He felt dizzy. This beautiful woman walking in could be no other than the little girl he had left behind.

"Kathlyne, let your papa be! You'll see him all week honey." The woman called, placing a hand upon her round stomach. Round?! Yuuri's eyes widen as he realized that she was pregnant. The blue dress hanging gently off her stomach should have given that away. If he didn't feel dizzy before, he defiantly did now.

A warm hand squeeze his shoulder gently and he looked over to see Conrad smiling at him. "You look pale, Heika." Yuuri stared at the commander before returning to look at the happy family. _Family_, Yuuri repeated to himself. Yes, they were indeed a family. He watched as Wolfram placed the small child back onto the ground to hug the woman, kissing her on her right cheek. The woman returned the embrace, before stepping away and kissing Wolfram on the his cheek as well. Yuuri felt sick.

He wanted to turn away, be anywhere else but here. How could he have been so naive? He had been gone for twenty years on Shin Makoku. He had left Greta behind to be cared for by Wolfram. He was her father, and Yuuri? Yuuri was nothing but a faint memory, a ghost of the past. They had all moved on without him, tending to their own lives. What right did he have to force himself upon them? What right did he have to ask to be forgiven after everything he had done.

"Father...?" Yuuri's heart stopped as he turned to see the woman starring at him. He watched as her hand was brought up to her heart, her hazel eyes wide with the threat of tears. "It is you, isn't it? You've finally returned..." Yuuri flinched inwardly at her words. He gave a small nod, looking to the ground instead into those hazel eyes. He didn't know what to do, what to say. Apologizing seemed worthless to the young king, empty. He did not regret his decision to leave, it was the fact that he was gone so long that truly hurt.

A warm hand cupped his cheek and gently lead his face to once again stare into hazel eyes. A small smile graced her lips as she searched his face. The hand moved up to his hair, brushing a few strands off to the side. Yuuri watched as a tear slowly slid down her cheek and he gently reached out and brushed it away with his thumb. He looked back into Greta's eyes and gave a small smile.

"Hello, Greta I've-" His eyes went wide as she threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly. Yuuri sighed in relief as he wrapped his arms around her, feeling her tremble slightly. He knew that he had so much to make up to her, and he was fully prepared to do whatever was necessary to accomplish it.

"I've missed you so much..." She whispered into his shoulder, her hands clenching his shirt tightly. Yuuri pulled away slightly to wipe away the spent tears and to grace her with a calm smile.

"I've missed you more than you can image," He reached up and brushed some of her hair behind her ear, "I want to hear everything that had happened. I want to know who this beautiful woman standing in front of me is." Greta gave a small laugh before standing up right, adjusting her dress slightly.

"Than I should perhaps extend my stay for two weeks, because you have missed a lot." Yuuri nodded in agreement and he felt some of the pressure leave him as she rewarded him with a large smile. "I'd like you to meet my family, father." She turned around to where Wolfram was standing with the young girl, who was watching the event curiously. Greta motioned for her daughter to come forward but the young girl shook her head and moved behind Wolfram's legs.

Yuuri gently placed a hand on his adopted daughter's shoulder, giving her a soft smile before walked past her and toward the prince and the young child. He looked to the blond who only crossed his arms, an eyebrow arched with curiosity. Yuuri moved to the side so that he could see the child who stared at him with wide eyes.

Kneeling onto the floor, Yuuri tilted his head to the side. "What is your name?" He asked gently, smiling as the young girl looked to her mother who nodded with approval.

"Kathlyne." She stated, clenching onto Wolfram's pants.

"Kathlyne? That is a beautiful name. How old are you?" The little girl smiled and held up four fingers proudly. "Your four? Wow! Your a big girl aren't you?"

"Yea! I am almost five, and papa said that he'd teach me ride a pony when I turn five." The girl looked up to the prince with a large smile, "Isn't that right, papa!" Wolfram laughed and knelt down beside her, gently patting her head.

"Yes, but you have to be good for your mother because she wont bring back to me otherwise." Kathlyne nodded, before turning back to Yuuri.

"It was nice to meet you mister!" She gave a small curtsey before running toward her mother who took her hand in hers. Yuuri watched as Greta gave him a small smile before Conrad lead them down the hall and to their rooms.

Yuuri slowly stood, dusting off his pants and turned to see Wolfram staring at him. "What?" Yuuri questioned, tilting his head to one side. The blond only shook his head before a small smile graced his lips. Yuuri felt his heart jump slightly as the prince looked to where the two had exited. _He seems like a different person now, _Yuuri thought, his eyes trailing to the smile the blond wore proudly.

"It always nice to have them home." Wolfram stated as if he had read the Maoh's thoughts. Yuuri nodded, relaxing slightly in the calm of the prince. "You handled that situation rather well, Heika." Yuuri gave a small annoyed sigh.

"Thank you, but Wolfram, please don't call me Heika! It is so weird coming from you." Yuuri stated, placing his hand on his hip. "It would be like me called you Prince or General all the time!" The blond gave a small laugh and shrugged his shoulders.

"Than perhaps I should go back to calling you a wimp?" Yuuri's eye narrowed slightly, placing his other hand on his other hips. Wolfram arched a slim eye brow, turning to face him completely. "What? You don't want me to call you Heika nor wimp?"

"How about Yuuri! You didn't have a problem with saying my name before. If I remember correctly, you liked to scream it." Yuuri felt his breath catch in his throat as his words came out wrong, "No I mean, not scream it, but you always shouted my name." A slight blush spread across the Maoh's cheeks. Wolfram stared at him for a second before he started laughing. Yuuri gave a small nervous chuckle, scratching behind his head as he tried to look else where.

"I have no idea where your thoughts are Hei-Yuuri. You are truly an odd one." Wolfram stated, catching his breath and smiling over to the black haired man. Yuuri felt a smile tug at his own lips. It was the first time Wolfram had called him by name. It felt wonderful. Was this perhaps the beginning to their friendship starting over again?

Wolfram begun to walk away and turned to see that Yuuri was not following him. Placing a hand on his hip once again, Wolfram motioned for him to come along. "Don't you want to catch up with Greta?" Yuuri felt warm, he felt like he was about to burst. Everything that had been bad this past week was quickly disappearing. Wolfram was talking to him again. Greta was home with her very own child. It felt so right. It felt perfect. Yuuri nodded and jogged to catch up with his blond fiance.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wolfram looked at himself in the mirror, his reflection staring back at him. He gave a small sigh before turning away, running his fingers through his now shorter hair. Greta had insisted that he allowed her to cut it for him when he mentioned he was thinking about having it shorter. She had dragged him to his room, leaving Kathlyne in Yuuri's care. He was slightly amazed at his daughters memory since she had cut it exactly as it had been when he had been younger.

A small frown crossed his lips as he pulled on a white shirt, his fingers playing with the black buttons. The prince wondered if his daughter planned for all of this. He was quiet aware of her dislike toward his current situation with the princess of Chivron. She had stated quite bluntly that she thought it was a pathetic way of keeping a treaty strong. She had even brought up the fact that officially Wolfram had still been engaged to Yuuri. The blond responded that Yuuri forfit the engagement when he decided to leave and not to return. _But he is here now_, Wolfram thought to himself.

"But its to late." He confirmed aloud, finishing the buttons on his shirt and grabbing his navy blue jacket. If Yuuri had returned ten years ago, perhaps it wouldn't have been to late. But twenty? Wolfram had to move on. Could he have called himself a man if he had waited? He was a solider, a general of an army for the demon race. He had responsibilities, and unlike a certain black haired man, Wolfram had been prepared to sacrifice some things. Or at least that is what he kept telling himself.

Stealing one more glance at himself in the mirror, the prince exited his room and started toward the dinning room. Everyone would be joining them for dinner tonight. Greta's husband wasn't due until tomorrow, she had stated that there had been some issues at the estate that needed attending so he had stayed behind. Which was fine for Wolfram, he wouldn't mind if the man decided he couldn't come at all. But given his daughter's current situation with a new baby on the way, it would perhaps be best if the man was here, at least for Greta. It wasn't that Wolfram had anything against Duke Elvin von Yusick, it was just that the prince didn't care much for him. In his eyes, no one was good enough for his daughter.

The blond could hear the laughter within the dinning hall even before he approached the door. The joyful laughter of his daughter warmed his heart and opened the doors with a smile on his face. He looked to the table, seeing Gwendal had even graced them with his presence. Yuuri waved to him, little Kathlyne sitting to his right and Conrart to his left. Greta sat in front of Yuuri, her head turned so that she could see who had entered. Anissina sat to her left, a small smirk on her face as she turned back to Gwendal, perhaps discussing another one of her inventions.

Wolfram made his way to his daughter's right hand side, pulling the chair out and sitting, placing the cloth napkin onto his lap. He looked up into smiling brown eyes as Conrart offered him some wine. The blond kindly accepted, picking up his glass so that his half brother could pour the contents.

"Late, as usual." Wolfram turned to Gwendal who placed his wine glass back onto the table. "I thought I had taught you to be punctual." Gwendal was even in a good mood. Wolfram smirked, sipping at his own wine.

"I believe the only thing you taught me, dear brother, is how to wear a frown correctly." Greta giggled besides him, shaking her head as Gwendal only deepened his frown.

"Come on guys, lets not ruin a great dinner." Yuuri stated, the prince looking up to see him smiling at him. Wolfram felt his cheeks warm and quickly turned to wine glass, finding it very interesting. Yuuri was wearing that same strange look, the one that he had up at Gunter's shrine and when he had first came home. Wolfram couldn't place the meaning behind it even if his life depended on it.

The food was served and the occupants at the table begun friendly conversations. Greta telling them all about her home and funny stories about Kathlyne. Wolfram would watch as she laughed, she seemed so happy. So full of life. It warmed the prince to know that his only daughter was happy. He would look up every now and then to Yuuri to see him enjoying the conversations and food. Wolfram smiled unconsciously at the young Maoh. He seemed at home now that Greta had returned. He wore a true smile, his eyes vibrant with the kindness inside. Yuuri was truly stunning, handsome in every aspect. The blond shook his head, how did that thought get in there? He cautiously eyed his wine glass, seeing that the contents where now empty. He had to be more careful, he had never been good at holding his alcohol.

"I wish I would have seen your wedding Greta! I bet you were absolutely beautiful in your dress." Yuuri explained dreamily.

"She was a disaster, if I remember correctly." Wolfram pipped in, earning a laugh from Conrart who had to share that day with the blond prince. "She was so nervous that she almost tripped walking down the stairs." He felt a sharp pain on his arm and winced. Turning, he saw hazel eyes glaring at him.

"That is because someone stepped on my trail!" She explained, threatening to pinch him again. Wolfram gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the now sore spot on his arm.

"I believe Wolfram had been more nervous than Greta was." Conrart stated, smiling kindly behind his wine glass. Yuuri laugh and shook his head, wiping at the tears in his eyes.

"I could only image Wolf! Pacing around, rambling to himself!" Yuuri laughed, earning a emerald glare from the blond prince.

"I was not pacing." He confirmed, picking up his water glass and taking a sip.

"Speaking of weddings," Greta started, turning her attention onto Wolfram once again. "I still can't believe what your going to do!" Wolfram felt his heart stop, chocking on the water that had been on its way down his throat.

"What did Wolfram decide to do?" the prince turned wide eyes toward Yuuri, coughing the water out of his throat. _Oh no..._he thought, he couldn't find his voice in time as he watched Greta turned her gaze back to Yuuri.

"You know, the whole engagement to that damned princess!" She made a small frown, "I think it is absolutely rediculious." Wolfram couldn't breathe. He hadn't informed his daughter not to mention any of that, how could he have been so stupid?!

"Engagement?" The table fell silent as wide black eyes turned toward Wolfram. "What is she talking about Wolfram?" The blond heard Greta gasp beside him, but he couldn't take his eyes of Yuuri who starred at him, asking him to say otherwise. The blond prince couldn't find his voice.

"Wolfram is engaged to the princess of Chivron." All eyes turned to Gwendal, who wore an unreadable expression. "After your majesty left, we had presumed that the engagement had been terminated. After the war, both the human country and the demon country were so nervous that we began to think that the treaty would fail. To ensure the safety of our country, Wolfram agreed to marry the princess to ensure long lasting peace. It was a necessary act." His eldest brother explained calmly. Wolfram turned to see Yuuri starring at him, his eyes filled with hurt. _Don't look at me like that..._He thought silently.

Wolfram stood, letting the napkin fall to the floor. He gave a stiff bow before he turned and walked as fast as he could to the door, letting it shut behind him. He could feel his heart pounding inside of his chest but he wouldn't let himself fall victim to his emotions. Never again, never again would he resort to his emotions.

"Wolfram!" The prince tensed as Yuuri's voice called him name behind him. Why, oh gods why, did he have to follow him. He felt Yuuri's hand grab his arm and turn him around, black eyes meeting green. "Tell me, I mean...why...why didn't you say anything?" Yuuri's eyes searched his own, begging for an explanation.

"I was going too when the time was right." The blond explained, keeping his face hard so that the Maoh couldn't read his true anxious feelings.

"When the time was right? Like when? When you were dressing for the wedding?!" Wolfram flinched at the hurt in his eyes and the anger in his voice. Wolfram felt his own feelings building. How dare he become anger. How dare he act hurt!

"Like you would have cared." It was Yuuri's turn to flinch. "All you ever wanted was for our engagement to be off. Well, now you don't have to worry about any of that. I leave next week to travel to the castle." Wolfram tore his arm away, eyes narrowing dangerously. Yuuri's eyes grew wide and the young man took a step back away from the prince.

"Next...week?" Yuuri shook his head, but Wolfram stood straight. "When do you marry her?" Yuuri's voice was quiet, and the prince noted that he couldn't feel any emotion coming out of it.

"When I arrive. It takes two weeks to get to the human country." Wolfram turned away from him, his hands clenching at his sides. Everything from the past was building up. Everything the blond had ever wanted to say to Yuuri was surfacing. He wanted to scream at him, show him his scared heart that he had shattered. But it wouldn't matter, he thought bitterly, a sad smile crossing his lips. Yuuri never loved him, never looked at him as anything but a friend. It wouldn't matter if the prince declared his undying love for the Maoh. No, it was far to late for that. He had accepted his fate and was prepared to marry the princess. Wolfram turned to leave, but the hand that grabbed his own stopped him.

"I wont let you." The voice was hard, clear and demanding. Shock filled Wolfram as he looked over his shoulder at Yuuri. Determined eyes stared back at him, Yuuri wearing a set frown. "I never terminated our engagement, so therefore you can not be engaged to another." Wolfram was frozen. He didn't know what to do as Yuuri stared at him with piercing black eyes. Why was he refusing this? Wasn't this what he had always wanted? Yuuri had done nothing but complain about the engagement. He had always pushed away the prince, stating that two guys could never have that type of relationship. Why was he...?

Wolfram pulled his hand away, taking a step away from his king. "Your wrong." Yuuri's eyes grew wide but the prince took another step back. "You declared our engagement over the day you decided to return back to Earth. You abandoned me and everyone else." Pain filled Yuuri's eyes but Wolfram turned away from him. He took one step, than two, repeating to himself that he would not cry.

"Wolfram-" He heard Yuuri take step toward him, and Wolfram gave an annoyed sigh.

"You are to late Yuuri." Wolfram growled, "I am going to marry the Princess for the sake of my country. It would be best if you started thinking the same way." With that, the prince walked away from his king. Away from his past, as a single tear rolled down his cheek.


	5. Chapter 5

Author Notes: Sorry for taking so long to post this. It was an extremely hard chapter to write and I'm still not very happy with it. But, none the less, the objective of this story has been revealed and now I can actually start getting into some plot instead of just making everyone depressed. I also wanted to apologize for all the grammar/typo mistakes in the last chapter. I was sick and I had no patience to double check the chapter, so that is my fault! I hope this one will be better. Chapter six is in the process and I hope to get it out faster than I did this one:-D Reviews and critique are always welcomed!!

Onto answering reviews!

**ABC123: **I understand what your saying about Greta and how she should have been a bit more pissed off about the whole situation. But I did what I did for a reason. I don't see Greta as one to hold grudges or to beat someone up for past mistakes. I'm sure she has had plenty of time to grieve and curse Yuuri's name so when he actually did come back, she would focus more on getting to know him once again. My father abandoned me when I was young and if I were to see him again, I would like to know him and understand his reasoning. But I suppose, that is just me 

**Xemnas the Superior:** Your idea actually gave way to a whole part of this fanfic! So I wanted to thank you for inspiring me to do so.  I hope you enjoy this next chapter just as much.

**Tk04:** I'm sorry I made you fall in love with this fic! I am really glad that you have enjoyed it thus far and I hope that this chapter will answer some of your questions. And about Wolfie marrying the princess? You'll just have to wait to find out!!

To everyone else who reviewed, thank you and I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. It actually has a bit of plot in it! Dun dun dun!

Declaimer: I do not own Kyou Kara Maoh nor any of the characters. Yet, this story is mine! All mine! Mwahahaha….okay to much sugar.

Open Heart

Chapter Five

"What's this...?" Wolfram looked at the brown wrapped object, turning it around in his hands. It was a rectangle, shaped much like a book. He looked up to see smiling brown eyes, with a pinch of amusement dwelling within the deep depths.

"A gift." Conrart stated calmly, leaning against the railing to the royal stables. When his explanation only received a questioning look, he gave a small smile and turned out to watch a few of the horses graze. "Consider it a going away gift." He decided after carefully choosing his words. Even after all this time, the older man had to be careful about his words with his younger brother. The blond had grown up into a fine man, but some wounds would never heal. With such a tender subject at hand, the commander had to be careful not to upset things any further.

Wolfram stared at the package in his hands, letting the moments slip away in silence. Sometimes his older brother baffled him to a point of making his head hurt. Slowly, his fingers begun to peal away the thin brown paper and what stood in its place was indeed a book. A slender eyebrow arched as he flipped through the pages to find no words, no story. His gaze turned to an amused Conrart, the small smile still in place.

"You gave me a blank book." Wolfram stated, "How thoughtful." Wolfram's confusion only deepened when his brother let out a small chuckle, softly shaking his head.

"Yes, it is blank. That book will be your story." Wolfram looked back to the leather bound book, it was simply decorated with small carvings of vines and leafs crawling up the sides. The book was held closed by simple leather strings, which now hung at either side.

"My story...?" He questioned, flipping the book open once again to run fingers across the blank pages. The surface of the paper was smooth, a pale white with the vine decoration continued on the inner side of each page. It was a simple book but it still held such elegance and beauty to it.

"Yes, something you can record memories in, or a log of events that have and will happen." Wolfram made a face as he closed the book, turning once again to amused brown eyes.

"You mean a diary." Conrart let out a small laugh at the dry statement. His brother could be so closed minded sometimes, especially when concerning such sentimental objects.

"If you wish to call it that, than yes." He answered, watching as his brother looked back to the book. "But it can also be a companion of sorts. Something you can trust with your secrets and memories." Wolfram gave a small huff and pushed himself off the railing. He turned to look up at his brother once more, the amused eyes still watching him.

"I can't promise I'll use it, but thank you...I guess." He added quickly, turning on his heal toward the entrance of the castle. Wolfram wasn't sure if he was happy or sad about Conrart's gift. It was thoughtful yes, but there was a meaning behind this gift. He brought the book up to his face to get a closer look at the carvings. A deeper meaning the blond wasn't quiet sure of. Was his brother suggesting that where he was heading he would need such a thing? A 'companion' to keep his secrets and thoughts? How girlish this whole concept was. Yet, the blond prince couldn't help but feel a bit warm inside. Conrart had thought about him enough to bring him this strange book and that in itself brought a small smile to his lips.

It had been four days since his engagement to the human princess had been announced. Four days of hell, in the blonde's opinion. It simply was not fair on how things had ended up thus far. It was as if the Gods themselves where playing him like a piece of a cruel game. Toying with his fate and laughing at his expense. After that night, Yuuri had been avoiding him completely. Even at meal times, the king's eyes were hallow when directed toward him. At first it had made the young demon so angry that he had to often excuse himself from Yuuri's presence. If anyone should be angry it should be Wolfram. In the blonde's view, Yuuri had no right to be angry; it had been him that had done this in the first place.

Since childhood, Wolfram had been known as a spoiled brat. Someone that would throw a tantrum every time he didn't get what he wanted. Throw things at people when they said the wrong thing, or come up with something so cruel to say and spat it in their faces. Wolfram had no idea how many times he had made someone cry, so many servants had excused themselves from working in the castle because of his attitude. He had broken hearts and stepped on the pieces. Wolfram knew he had a tendency to be cruel and spoiled, yet Wolfram couldn't blame himself for his actions. Throughout his whole life, the demon had only known one thing to be true and that was no one cared.

His father had abandoned him as a young child, leaving him in the care of his mother who was the sole ruler of the Shin Makoku. When she was busy, which was the majority of the time, he was in the care of a nurse maid who even now the blond couldn't remember her name. His eldest brother Gwendal never had much to do with him as a child, claiming he was always to busy to attend to a baby. Conrart had been there on rare occasion when he would return from his travels with his father. Wolfram had finally thought someone cared for him, but it had ended up not to be true. Conrart had hurt him the most out of everyone during his childhood. He had loved him and looked up to him so much, promising himself that he would be as strong as him when he grew up. When the truth had been revealed that Conrart was half human, half of those disgusting villains, the blond prince had been devastated. That was the moment Wolfram locked himself up, closed his heart and pushed everyone away. Never did he want to be hurt like that again.

He had been successful too, that is until a certain black haired boy entered his life. He had tried the same approach with Yuuri right to begin with. Wanting nothing to do with this new comer, with this sorry excuse for a king. Than everything had backfired, instead of pushing him away they had found themselves drawn together, unintentional or not. Wolfram's fate had been sealed the first time he had witnessed Yuuri transform into the Maoh.

At first it had been his duty as a solider to protect his king. Than the blond had found himself wanting to be closer to him, using the excuse that he wanted to make sure Yuuri didn't cheat on him. As the weeks turned into months and Wolfram witnessed the beauty of Yuuri's heart, he had found himself wanting nothing more than to protect his innocent smile. To insure his laughter would never fade and to make sure he accomplished everything he decided on, no matter how impossible it sounded. Wolfram had found himself falling in love with the wimp and that scared him so much but he found that he couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop the desire to be with him, to be the reason for his smile and laughter.

He loved everything about Yuuri, his goofy smile to his boldness. He saw such strength in Yuuri and yet at the same time he saw such compassion in him. Yuuri was everything he wasn't, and Wolfram was everything Yuuri wasn't. They had accomplished so much together and the blond prince was sure that they would see the end of their days together. Than that fateful day had come and crushed all the dreams Wolfram had. He remembered that ominous evening like it had been yesterday, no matter how many times he tried to forget it.

He remembered Yuuri being unable to go back to his world, even with the help of the Murata, the Great Sage. They had all grown worried, Yuuri deciding they would visit Ulrike in the former Maoh's shrine. The sight that greeted them upon their arrival had stunned everyone. The water fountain in the courtyard was alive, water swirling madly around as black thunder streamed in and out of the waves. A burst of the same magic was flying out of the main hall of the shrine, the cries of the shrine maidens echoing through the chilled evening air. Conrart was the first to run in, sword drawn, quickly followed by Yuuri and Wolfram.

Inside was madness, the black magic flying through the air as the ground beneath began to shake. Ulrike was up on the platform the four forbidden boxes had once sat, the waterfall before her black. Wolfram remembered the dread that flew through him as he watched the child-like priestess hold out her hands only for her to be knocked back by a bolt of the black magic. Conrart had caught her, both of them flying back and skidding against the marbled ground. They had all ran over to her, Yuuri quickly checking to make sure she was okay.

What she said next haunted Wolfram's dreams for years to come. She looked up to Yuuri, her eyes trembling before she had stated that the portals between worlds were collapsing. She explained to them all that within the next few moments the two worlds would be lost to each other forever and Yuuri would no longer be able to return to Earth. Wolfram had looked over to Yuuri and his heart stopped at the dread that appeared on his fiancé's face. Yuuri was face to face with a decision he did not want to make and all eyes had been turned to him. Wolfram watched as shock turned into dread and dread turned into tears.

Yuuri did not want to leave them, yet neither did he want to give up his family. They had been faced with a similar event not even a few months before, yet Yuuri had returned. Wolfram turned to Murata, his eyes hidden behind the glare of the glasses. The blond turned back to see Yuuri looking at him, Wolfram had felt his heart stop at the silent question being asked. He saw within those depths a single question and he knew what he had to do.

He stood, taking Yuuri's hand in his and forcing him to stand as well. He told Yuuri that they would figure something out, something that could support the portals. Until then, he needed to return to Earth. The look that Yuuri had given him made his heart ache; it was a look of surprise and gratitude. A moment later, Yuuri was gone. Unknown to the blond at the time, it would be the last time he would see him for the next twenty years.

Murata and Ulrike found a way to support the portal, supporting the ancient magic with a temporary crutch. Murata had then explained to everyone a few weeks later that they had supported the portal but only for a one time use. It would only last for one person to return to Earth and than for one person to return back to Shin Makoku. Meaning, one person had to return to Earth to fetch Yuuri but that same person would not be able to return if Yuuri decided to return. Before discussion of who would go to Earth begun, Murata silenced them all. He stated that he would return to get Yuuri. He was the only one that was born and raised on Earth, and even though his soul belonged here, he would be the only one with any place upon the alien planet. Thus it was decided that Murata would leave within the next week, promising everyone he would try his best to convince Yuuri to return. After the tenth year with no sign from either of them, Wolfram gave up hope.

The prince placed the blank book upon his desk within his room, his heart heavy with such strong memories. He pulled out the chair from the desk and sat, looking into the room. He was about to begin another chapter to his life. A chapter he did not want but knew it needed to be done. He had given up many things during his life in the name of the people. He had given up his childhood to train as a solider. He had given up hope to be loved for the sake of being strong. He had sacrificed his relationship with Yuuri so that he could return home. Now? Now he had given up his pride, his honor and his home for the sake of peace.

Wolfram bit the bottom of his lip as he brought his fist down hard onto the top of the desk. He wanted to scream, to yell until his voice grew hoarse from the abuse. He wanted to burn the entire castle and break all the walls down. He wanted to hurt Yuuri for taking so long to come back, for abandoning them for so long. It would have been better if he had never returned, then all these emotions wouldn't be bothering him. He wouldn't have to fight back the tears that stung at his eyes, nor would he have to remember all those horrible memories. Things could have continued as they were, without a doubt in his mind about his decision to marry the princess.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Fall was creeping into the late summer evenings, cooling the air just enough to make it a bit chilly. The leafs were changing from the dark green to brilliant colors of reds and oranges, the sun was beginning to set earlier and rise later. Yuuri never cared much for the fall season nor did he care much for winter. He enjoyed warmer days with sunny skies and green fields. Days where one could grab his mitt and toss a ball around for a few hours. Those were the days Yuuri enjoyed, not the day that laid before him now. The sky was filled with clouds threatening to burst with rain any minute. The wind howled through the trees, tossing the changing leafs in the air. A late summer storm, the one storm that always came to change the season.

The young king was sitting in the dinning hall waiting for breakfast. The large windows displaying the sorrowful scene of the outside storm. A heavy sigh escaped his lips before he turned back to the empty table in front of him. Gwendal had already left with his meal and Conrad had apologized earlier stating that he would not be able to accompany him this morning. Greta would probably arrive in a few minutes with her happy family, which would be nice. Yet the thought of seeing the happy couple with the darling little girl didn't lift Yuuri's spirits. Wolfram was going to leave tomorrow.

Yuuri had tried to find any reason for Wolfram not to go through with this engagement. He had even gone to such lengths as reading ancient documents, trying to find a loop hole. What he found was that he seriously needed to brush up on the written language of this world once again. Everything he found didn't support him in keeping Wolfram at Blood Pledge castle. When he hadn't returned from Earth, everyone had agreed that the proposal of engagement had become invalid. In which case left Wolfram completely free to become engaged to another, even if Yuuri were to return. All in all, there was nothing Yuuri could do to keep him where he belonged.

Another sigh escaped his lips, he didn't want to admit defeat but there was nothing else he could do. Yuuri knew he had so much to make up for in his absence. He had to prove to everyone that he was capable of ruling this country as the king they all wanted. He needed to repair broken bridges and create the friendships the demon country once had with the human countries. He knew he could do it because he had done it before. He was here to stay and he was going to make the best of the situation, he was going to heal the wounds he created.

"Good morning you're Majesty." Yuuri looked up to see Greta's husband enter the room, what was his name again? Yuuri wasn't quiet sure if he liked the man yet, he seemed a bit absent minded sometimes. Absent minded being a generous description.

"Ah, good morning." Yuuri returned giving a small smile as the man sat in front of him. He had dark brown hair, cut in the shape a bowl so the bangs were even all across his high forehead. He was a bit taller than Conrad and extremely skinny. The man wasn't necessarily ugly but than he wasn't beautiful either. "Will Greta and Kathlyne be joining us?" He let the hope show on his face, not to sure if he would want to be alone with the older gentleman.

"No, unfortunately not. They are helping Lord von Bielefelt with the remaining process of packing and preparing for his trip to Chivron." The hope quickly faded, so it was to be Greta's husband and himself only this morning. "Will you be accompanying him to Chivron, your majesty?" Yuuri tilted his head curiously to the side at the question as the oblivious man helped himself to an apple, or something that resembled an apple.

"I don't think so." Yuuri replied, giving a small chuckle. If things weren't awkward enough already, that would defiantly be the icing on the cake. He could only imagine the heated argument the two of them would have if he even suggested of traveling with the blond prince to Chivron. It would end in fire balls and cursing.

"Oh, how unfortunate." Yuuri looked up at the duke at the sad statement. The expression the man wore was confusing; it was as if he was sorry for Yuuri? "Do I have permission to speak freely?"

"Uh..." Yuuri couldn't understand this man, wasn't he just speaking freely? And why did he feel the need to ask such a thing from him? It wasn't as if Yuuri was a tyrant or anything. "Sure?" He finally answered after a few moments of hesitation.

"If you wish to convince Lord von Bielefelt to stay than perhaps the best thing to do is remind him of better times." The man stated calmly, taking a bite of his apple while leaning slightly back in his chair. "Perhaps if he is reminded of certain past events, it will evoke certain...how do you say? Feelings in him?" Okay, so this man made no sense at all. Yuuri shook his head slightly, giving a small laugh.

"I think it goes far beyond anything like that." The young king laughed, waving his hand as if to dismiss the topic. "Wolfram has his pride and...well...I betrayed everyone when I left. Wolfram is probably looking forward to leaving this place and me behind." The end of his sentence dragged into a soft whisper, his black eyes falling to the table in front of him. The chuckle he heard brought his attention once again to the man in front of him.

"In all do respect, your majesty, if anything the young Lord needs is to be reminded on why he is so lachrymose. There is no one within these walls better suited for such as task than yourself." Yuuri watched the other man talk, the assertiveness surprising the young king. He said everything with such confidence as if he knew everything he said would be as exactly as he claimed. And slowly, ever so slowly, Yuuri was beginning to think the man made sense.

"So what you're saying is that I need to go with him during the two week trip and convince him to stay here...?" Yuuri questioned, leaning slightly over the table and keeping his voice barely over a whisper. The smirk that spread across the other man's face was slightly startling.

"Precisely." He grinned, "But in a manner in which you are not exactly stating that you want him to come home, but in a way that it makes him think that he has made the decision himself." Yuuri frowned, how was he going to do that? Wolfram was the most stubborn person he knew! Once the blond set his mind to something there was no use in trying to change it. Especially when it concerned his duty...

"I doubt I can do that..." Yuuri whispered, chewing absentmindedly on his bottom lip. The man quickly waved a long index finger in front of his face and made a tsk tsk noise.

"You united humans and demons when the whole world believed they would be the destruction of each other. You found the four forbidden boxes when no believed you could and you saved our world from absolute demolition. I believe you can convince the young lord to stay." Yuuri watched the man as he gave a soft smile and stood, taking the rest of his apple with him. He gave a small bow and excused himself.

Yuuri found himself smiling as he watched the man leave. He now understood why Greta loved him and had married him. He was a man who showed the world one side and proved them all wrong with his illogical thinking that actually made sense. Yuuri had a plan now, even if it was his last resort, he had a plan.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What about this papa?" Wolfram glanced over to Kathlyne who was holding up a white shirt the prince had forgotten he even had. He gave a small smile and nodded to the girl who quickly laid it down to try to fold the article of clothing. He gave a small sigh before he went back to his current project of trying to close the chest he had packed his uniforms in. He doubted he would be wearing these in Chivron, but old habits die hard.

After successfully cramming the last of the sleeves into the dark green chest, he quickly sat on it, using his weight to keep the lid closed. He fumbled with the latch for a second before he got it to go around the nub. Taking the lock out of his pocket he quickly closed the metal latch and stood, placing his hands on his hips triumphantly. One chest down, he looked over the room and gave an inward groan, four more to go. When in the name of Shinou did he acquire all this junk?! What was he, a girl?

"Father, you seriously need to go through all of this and get rid of some of it..." Greta grumbled as she pulled out a few extravagant boxes from the blonde's closet. Wolfram gave a small sigh as he went over to help her.

"I never have time to go through this stuff." He stated matter-of-factly. Greta looked up at him, her hazel eyes narrowed slightly.

"Well, now is a better time than never." Wolfram arched a eyebrow and shook his head.

"I have no time for such things. I leave tomorrow morning." Greta responded by a small grunt before she pulled the boxes off to the side. "Not all of this is coming with me, Greta. Most of it will be stored in the vaults. Besides, Chivron is my new ho-"

"Wow!!" Wolfram winced slightly at the high pitched squeal from behind him. He slowly turned around to see Kathlyne holding up a silky, pink article of clothing. "This is so pretty!!" The blond felt his face start to burn at the realization of what the child had found. He thought he had thrown that away!

"I remember this!" Greta explained from behind him, placing the box down before she made her way to her daughter, picking up the pink nightgown. She held it out in front of her and gave a small smile. "This would probably fit me." If Wolfram's face hadn't been red before, it defiantly was now.

"Just throw it away." he demanded, stepping forward to take it from his daughter who quickly moved out of the way.

"Absolutely not, father. There are a lot of good memories with this!" A playful smile spread across her lips at the threatening glare she received in return. "All the night time stories you used to read to me, how you used to look in it and how it felt to be held at night." She placed the silk against her cheek and closed her eyes fondly, "I never had any trouble falling asleep when you used to hold me." Wolfram gave up with a small sigh, shaking his head before he went over to another chest.

"Fine keep it. There had only been one purpose for that ridiculous thing any how." Wolfram winced slightly at the words that had escaped his mouth, now he would never hear the end of it. He slowly turned too watched a bit unnerved as Greta's eyes grew slightly larger. She looked at the nightgown than back to her father, a smirk spreading across her pink lips.

"You wore this for Yuuri, didn't you?!" She giggled when her father looked away, pretending to be busy with the chest of clothes in front of him. "Oh my Shinou, you were trying to seduce him, weren't you?!" Wolfram chocked slightly, coughing before he turned to look at his daughter with a shocked expression.

"Mommy, what does _seduce_ mean?" Greta turned to her daughter who had been watching the entire time. She gave a small laugh and tousled the girl's hair a bit with her free hand.

"It's just a game grown-ups play darling." She responded sweetly, missing the wide-eyed expression Wolfram shot her way.

"Like kick the can?" Kathlyne questioned innocently, tilting her head at her grandfather who seemed to be red in the face.

"It is similar, but there isn't any can involved." Kathlyne seemed to be happy with that and Greta turned to see Wolfram starring at the door. She slowly turned to see the door open and Yuuri standing there in the opening, eyes slightly wide at the scene that lay before him.

"Wolfram, I was wondering if I could talk to you...?" Yuuri questioned, his dark eyes traveling across the messy room before they finally rested upon the prince. The blond stood and gave a small bow.

"I am sorry Heika, but I am in the middle of preparing for my journey at the moment..." Wolfram arched an eyebrow as he watched as Yuuri's eyes moved away from him and widen slightly. The blond prince followed his gaze and felt his checks burn when he realized Yuuri was starring at the pink nightgown. "But perhaps I can excuse myself for a brief period..." He quickly added before he stood and gently pushed Yuuri out of the room and closed the door behind him.

The blond watched as Yuuri's eyes turned from the door than to him, a curious expression upon his face. If he had wanted to say something, it wasn't stated. Instead, Yuuri motioned for them to head a bit down the hall so that their conversation could be kept private. Not really wanting to leave his current task, Wolfram gave a small groan but agreed. They headed toward a window near the end of the hall, where the storm outside was pounding against the glass. The prince turned to Yuuri who was starring at him with a small smile on his face.

"What...?" He quickly demanding, feeling his checks fluster once again. What an annoying morning it had been thus far.

"Oh nothing." Yuuri stated simply, turning his gaze to the window. "I actually wanted to talk to you about your journey." Wolfram knew it was going to be about that, Yuuri had been trying all week to find an excuse for the prince to stay. The blond was almost surprised the Maoh didn't order him to stay.

"I understand, but let me reassure you once again Heika that this is my-" Wolfram stopped in mid sentence when Yuuri raised a hand to silence him. Slightly annoyed at the interruption, the blond decided not to comment to avoid conflict.

"I know Wolfram. It's your decision and no matter how much everyone wants you to stay it is your duty to do this." Yuuri turned understanding eyes toward him, a small smile upon his lips. "I wanted to tell you that what you are doing is...well...honorable." Wolfram's eyes grew slightly wide at the declaration. The blond quickly shook his head, prepared to argue his point but was once again silenced, but this time by the Maoh's smile that he directed fully toward him.

"That is why I want you to know that I support you and your decision. I won't try to stop you from marrying the princess." Wolfram stared at Yuuri for a long moment; he was sure the confusion he felt was visible upon his face. The past four days the blond had witnessed Yuuri trying to find any probable cause to keep him at the castle, even going as far to ask Gwendal. Why this all of a sudden? Had Yuuri finally realized that things had changed?

"Thank you, Heika." Wolfram responded quietly, giving a small bow. The blond couldn't place the tightness in his chest at the half demon's statement. Nor could he understand why Yuuri had changed his mind all of sudden when he had been so determined to keep Wolfram at the castle. It didn't feel right, something was amiss.

"In fact, I wish to travel with you so that I can formally meet the Kingdom of Chivron and discuss future plans." Wolfram's heart stopped and his eyes widened as Yuuri turned back to the window. "To reassure the country that Shin Makoku has regained their king and he plans on staying. I want to try to build a lasting relationship with them in hopes to avoid any further…problems." All the while, Yuuri kept the large smile on his face but the gleam in his eyes almost scared Wolfram. It was the same gleam his eyes would take when he used to transform into the Maoh.

"In all due respect, Heika…" Wolfram began but stopped when Yuuri turned to face him, his features changing into innocent curiosity. "I do not know if this is such a great idea. I am sure for the people it will be hard enough to accept me going there, but the king as well? It would cause for an uprising." It was a lame excuse, the prince knew, but the idea of traveling two weeks with Yuuri made him feel queasy.

"I already thought of that!" Yuuri smiled happily, "Conrad is creating some hair dye now and new contacts are being made. It will be like the old days, Wolfram! The people won't even know who I am and Gwendal has agreed that this is a good idea." Yuuri's smile made the blonde's heart skip a beat; the smile was filled with excitement and warmth. The same smile Wolfram had fallen in love with. _Oh gods…_

"Well…" Wolfram quickly turned to look out the window, clearing is throat with a small cough. "I suppose if everyone else believes this is a good idea, than I have no choice." It wasn't what he wanted and defiantly wasn't what he was thinking, but the prince would find another method to vent. Yet, how bad could it be? A trip to Chivron with Yuuri didn't sound so bad, but it really didn't sound very pleasing either.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: School started once again so chapters might take longer to come out than before. But here is chapter six! Again, it is filled with some information and some tedious stuff, but I reassure you that next chapter is filled with more angst and more YuurixWolf sweetness. I just wanted to get them started on their travel to Chivron, so here is the beginning to their journey! Also, I was wondering if anyone would be interested in seeing grown-up Wolfie and Yuuri? If so, just let me know and I might take some time in drawing them :-D.

Onto answering reviews!!

**Juntomatsu:** Don't worry about the review not being grand! I think its grand that you took some time out of your day to read the story and review! So thank you bunches :-P

**Rivana:** I apologize for my misuse of "then" and "than". English isn't my native tongue so I get confused sometimes on the whole grammar thing! I hope that I caught more of my mistakes this time around though. I'm glad that you enjoyed the story though :-D.

**Daikaio: **:-O I can't believe you reviewed all five chapters, thank you so much! I am really glad that you like the story so far, and I hope that chapter six meets your expatiations!

**Xemnas the Superior: ** slowly backs away lmao, you are an odd one, lol! But I am glad that you have enjoyed the story so far. And yes, the whole Gwendal/Gunter scene will be coming up shortly. And a joint story with your friend? That sounds interesting, I already have plans to do another story so if she would be interested, we can see what would happen!

**Mirai Kurosaki**: I try not to overload on detail. My usual writing style is very...artistic? Not so much detail, but a try to create a world of the imagination. My original story Frail will be posted of soon. But none the less, thank you for the complement! I will keep it in mind while I write more chapters. Gunter died for a very good reason, it will all be revealed shortly in the up coming chapters. I hope you enjoy the next one as much as you have the previous!

**Jetede:** Thank you so much for the wonderful review. It made me feel better about the whole time mess up. I knew about the whole Conrart stated the 1:5 difference, but as you stated, the series didn't really follow it. Perhaps my mistake was to follow the same? I am really glad that you enjoy the story thus far! And yes, Gunter was a must, especially for the future as you stated. I hope you enjoy the next chapters as much and I hope you will continue to enjoy it! I'll update as fast as possible! Lol :-D

**Contraven431:** Yes, I got your message, but I am guessing you did not get mine! I replied and thanked you for taking time and pointing some issues out to me. Your review made me recheck the next chapter a few times! Lol. I hope this chapter is a bit more interesting then the last, but once again it has information and less angst in it.

**Furia:** A 35 year old? Lol, that would be really funny, huh? No, I don't think I could make him that old and seriously do the story. And Gunter died for a good reason, I assure you. I did not enjoy killing him it was just a must. I am really glad that you enjoyed the story thus far and I hope chapter six will be fun to read as well.

I also want to thank you everyone else who reviewed the story. It means a lot to me when people take time to enjoy something that I enjoyed to write. So please enjoy the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh! I do however own this story. :-D

Open Heart

Chapter 6

The horizon glowed a soft orange as the sun slowly started raising, signalizing a new day. The soft clouds hung in the sky, a small reminder of the heavy storms from the day before. The castle was beginning to stir with early morning routines, such as the servants gathering to do their daily tasks. The kitchen lit up with fire underneath the cauldron as the cooks prepared the morning meal. The maids hurried along the halls to make sure everything was in place as the soldiers whistled at them as they made their way to their designated posts. It was an average morning for everyone, unless of course you happened to be a certain blond haired mazoku.

Wolfram stood at his window looking down into the court yard below. He watched as a single carriage was brought out, followed by two horses. The men down below begun to load up baggage and accessories that would be needed for the journey ahead. Giving a small sigh, the blond turned away from the window and made his way to his bed. Last night had been difficult. After hours of tossing and turning, the blond had decided that it would just be better if he rose and got ready for the approaching day. Sleeping was out of the question.

His slender fingers grazed the thick material of the drapes hanging from the canopy of the bed. Their dark blue material shimmering lightly in the dull rays of morning. Last night was the last night for the blond to sleep in this bed. In two weeks he would arrive at a new country, a new castle and a new life. Wolfram turned from the bed and looked into the empty room. It had been his room since the day he could remember. So many memories had come and went with the passing years. He remembered playing dress-up with Conrart when he was younger, pulling on one of the many silly dresses his mother had insisted he wore and chasing his brother around with a wooden sword. He remembered when he had turned sixty-five and he had sneaked a boy-solider in this room where his first kiss was soon to follow. Memories like these would make it hard to give up this room.

A small frown found its way to the soldier's lips as he stared at the empty wooden desk. All traces of his existence removed from the old piece of furniture. No more papers piled on its surface, no more miscellaneous objects scattered about. It was just another room, with a canopy bed and a empty desk. Perhaps it would be turned into another guest quarter? Or perhaps they would save it for him when he would visit. That seemed logical.

Wolfram turned away from the room, picking up his sword and attaching it to his leather belt. Without looking back, the blond prince left the room, letting the doors quietly click close behind him. He couldn't look back. That part of his life had ended, that chapter had found its closure. He was stepping into a new world, a new chapter. It wasn't exactly what the prince had wanted for himself, in fact it was far from his ideals, but this was something he needed to do. For his people, for his country, he needed to fulfill his duty.

Holding his head up high, Wolfram walked down the hall and down the flight of stairs that lead to the main entrance. Some servants stopped and gave their respects to their lord with a small bow, the blond returning a small smile or nod of his head. There was to be no going away ball, no ceremony to announce his departure. He had requested it to be kept quiet so that none of their enemies would figure out demon kingdom's plans to marry off the youngest of the three brothers. It would make the trip easier, less things to worry about.

Pushing open the front door, the morning air greeted him with soft cool kisses. He looked around and found that people were already waiting for him. Gwendal stood closest to the door, a set scowl upon his face. His mother, still beautiful in her years, smiled kindly next to his eldest brother. She wore the form fitting black dress that many were accustomed to see upon her slim form. On the other side stood Greta, with little Kathlyne and her father. Upon further inspection he saw that some of his soldiers were waiting by the entrance of the carriage. This was it, his family and friends to wish him well on the next part of his life.

Wolfram lifted his left leg, slightly startled on how heavy it felt. Slowly, he made his way to his eldest brother, extending a hand toward him. Gwendal took it firmly within his, his purple eyes connecting with Wolfram's green ones. "Brother." The blond stated surely, knowing that anything more was not necessary. His brother was a man of few words and extending more than a friendly handshake was passing the border line.

"Wolfram," Gwendal replied, shaking the hand within his own. "Good luck with your journey. May the Gods be with you." Wolfram nodded, taking the blessing with him as he let go of the strong hand. He turned to his mother and fought the gasp upon seeing tears in his mother's emerald eyes.

He walked over to her, placing a soft smile upon his lips as she placed a warm hand upon his cheek. Her smooth thumb ran over his high cheek bone, her lips formed a forced smile. Gently, he placed his hand upon his mother's, knowing that out of everyone, this was perhaps hardest on her. The war had aged her greatly, even though her beauty was still very strong. Her eyes no longer held the warmth they once did, nor did they shine with life. Small wrinkles could be found around her eyes, making her appear tired and drained.

"Mother..." Wolfram stated quietly, she shook her head and pressed her index finger gently against his lips.

"I know, Wolfie." She stated, the tears shimmering in her green eyes. "I...I want to you to know that mother loves you, and I always will..." She embraced him then, but not like one of her normal tackle hugs. This one was filled with warmth only a mother could provide. Her slender arms holding him against her firmly but gently. Wolfram nodded into the hug, gently returning the embrace. He pulled away and stepped back, giving a small bow before he turned around to face his own family.

Greta gave a half smile before she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around her father tightly. Wolfram could feel her round stomach against his own and it only pained him knowing that he wouldn't be there to see her give birth to her second child. He wrapped his arms around the young woman, kissing the top of her auburn head. Despite everything, Wolfram was thankful for having Greta. She was the reason he held together, she was the answers to his questions. He treasured her like any father would treasure a daughter.

"Papa! You can't go!!" Wolfram stumbled a bit as he felt Kathlyne fling herself around his leg, holding on for dear life. Emerald eyes shifted downward to see a pair of hazel eyes starring up at him, glistening with tears that fell down her rosy cheeks. "You can't go!" She wailed again, burring her face into his pants leg.

Kneeling, Wolfram took her small shoulders into his hands, pulling her away just enough so that he could look into her eyes. He let a smile spread across his lips as he wiped her tears gently away with his thumb. "I'm not going to be gone forever Kat." He stated softly, "I will come and visit you as often as I can." The small child sniffed, rubbing her eyes with her hand.

"Promise?" She squeaked. Wolfram gave a small nod before embracing her into a gentle hug.

"I promise." He let his granddaughter go before standing again, turning his emerald eyes toward his daughter's husband. "Take good care of my girls, Elvin von Yusick." The man gave an understanding nod, placing his hand upon Greta's shoulder to further emphasize his promise. The blond turned from them and proceeded toward the carriage.

Yuuri stood there now, dressed in peasant clothing. He wore a simple dark brown shirt, tied with string near his collar bone. A belt wrapped around his waist, supporting what Wolfram could only suspect was Morgif. Dark tanned pants hung loosely around his legs and were tucked into a pair of black boots. His hair was now the dark red color that it had been every time they had ventured out into other countries years ago. His eyes a brown-red color, smiling up at him. Wolfram stared at him for a moment, taking the sight in. Even though Yuuri had grown into a young man, Wolfram had not looked at him as anything but a boy. But as the young king now stood in front of him, the blood realized for the first time that Yuuri had truly grown. His shoulders were broader, his chest more filled. The part of his arms that the blond could see held muscle definition, Yuuri's face had even grown more angular. Wolfram could admit (silently to himself) that Yuuri had grown into a handsome man.

Shaking his head from those thoughts, the blond prince made his descent down the small flight of stairs and toward the horse drawn carriage. He watched as one of the soldiers opened the door for him, motioning toward the small steps to help him get in. He gave one last glance toward his family, at his home before he entered the carriage. Yuuri followed pursuit and climbed to the other side of the velvet seats, facing the blond with a small smile. The door closed behind them and the world out side was cut from view.

"Conrad will be following us with a small group of soldiers." Yuuri informed as they felt someone climb up to the bench in front. Wolfram gave a small nod to inform the other that he had heard. He had already known that his half-brother would be following them. Gwendal had informed him late the prior evening, and with some bickering, it had been settled that Conrart would be following close behind.

A jerk of the carriage told the passengers that they were moving and Wolfram shifted his eyes toward the window, watching as everyone waved goodbye. He watched as Gwendal turned back to the castle and his mother wiped her tears away. Greta held Kathlyne as she waved wildly toward the carriage. So this was it, this was the beginning of the journey to Chivron. His emerald eyes shifted toward Yuuri who was also looking out the window, watching as they exited through the gates of Blood Pledge castle. Auburn eyes turned toward him and he quickly looked away, ignoring the small skip of his heart at the intensity he had seen in those dark depths.

"Hey, Wolfram." The blond turned slightly to Yuuri, arching an eyebrow. "Everything will be alright, I promise." The blond gave a small snort and turned to look out the window once again. Nothing was going to be alright. Everything was falling apart around him. His whole life had been taken away from him and he couldn't do anything about it but bow in the face of his duty and take it. But none the less, Yuuri's words seemed to calm something deep within the blond, making the ride seem just a tad bit more tolerable.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yuuri gave a small sigh as he pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the window. The passing scenery was growing old. At first it was exciting to see the untamed nature of the rolling hills and pastures. Now as they rode through a forest, all the trees resembled one another. It was boring. Pulling himself away from the window, Yuuri pressed his back against the velvet seat of the carriage. He silently pondered over why they had decided to take a carriage instead of riding horses. It was probably due to Wolfram's luggage. Yet, riding horses would have been much more interesting, at least there was something to do. Another sigh escaped the young kings lips as he tilted his head back against the seat.

"Would you please stop sighing?" Wolfram sneered, jerking Yuuri out of his thoughts. He turned his head to see a pair of emerald eyes glaring at him, a frown placed firmly upon his thin lips.

"I'm sorry!" Yuuri retorted, holding his hands up in defense. "This is just so boring! There isn't anything to do except stare at the passing trees!" Wolfram gave a small shake of his head before returning to glare at his traveling companion.

"Than perhaps you should have stayed at the castle, then this wouldn't be a problem, now would it?" Wolfram snapped, crossing his arms over his chest, daring Yuuri to argue with that. The now auburn eyed man gave another small sigh, which only caused the blond to twitch his eyebrow in annoyance.

"But I really wanted to come with you to meet the country Chivron. Its just that I didn't know we would be stuck in such a small space!" He motioned to the inside of the carriage to emphasize his point, his finger tips touching either side.

"Well, I do apologize for the small space, your majesty. Next time we will be sure to accumulate the appropriate size." The blond snarled sarcastically, which only brought a frown upon the young king's lips. Wolfram was sure touchy today, perhaps he didn't like carriage rides either. Yuuri tilted his head to the side as an idea crossed his mind.

"Are you feeling sick, Wolfram?" Green eyes grew wide at the question before he quickly regained his composition, setting his lips back into a scowl.

"I am perfectly fine." Wolfram stated firmly, turning his attention back to the passing scenery. Yuuri arched an eyebrow in question as he watched the blond soldier in front of him. His skin was a bit more pale, and had a bit of a clammy composition to it. If memory served him correctly, Yuuri recalled the the blond would get highly testy on ship rides because of his sea sickness. Could it be that the soldier had motion sickness as well?

"You are feeling ill!" Yuuri exclaimed, a small pout being placed upon his lips. "Why didn't you say anything?!" Wolfram turned with an angry glare, but it quickly melted when his eyes set upon the pout Yuuri held. When did Yuuri ever _pout_? The blond shook his head to regain his thought before once again turning an angry glare toward the young king.

"Because it is none of your concern if I feel ill or not." He spat, feeling his stomach turn slightly as the carriage bounced lightly over the dirt road. His eyes shut automatically as his stomach lurched again, threatening to release itself of any contents insides. Emerald eyes shot open as he felt Yuuri sit down next to him, a firm expression upon his face.

"Lay down." He ordered, motioning with his hand toward his lap. Wolfram could feel his cheeks burn at the idea of laying his head down upon Yuuri's lap. He quickly moved away from the young king, pressing himself up against the wall of the carriage.

"Absolutely not!" He barked, trying to hide his embarrassment behind a mask of anger. Yuuri gave a small annoyed sigh before he reached out and pulled Wolfram's arm, forcing him to come near once again.

"I used to always get motion sickness when I rode in a car when I was younger." Yuuri explained, a gently but firm smile upon his lips. "And the only thing that would make the nausea go away was if I laid in someone's lap." Wolfram stared at Yuuri in disbelief. That was perhaps the most illogical idea he had ever heard. He knew Yuuri was a moron sometimes, but this? Did he honestly think that he would lay down in his lap to recover from some motion sickness?! The blond had more dignity than that.

"You are perhaps the most idiotic per-!" Wolfram's eyes grew wide as the carriage bounced over a bump in the road, causing his stomach to lurch once again. A hand quickly flew to his mouth as if to stop the vile from coming out of his mouth. A tense moment passed before the blond was sure that he had recovered, but when he turned he was met with a pair of angry eyes.

Yuuri grabbed hold of the blonde's shoulders and quickly forced him down, the blond mop of hair landing in a soft lap. Green eyes stared up in shock into a pair of intense auburn. The prince could feel his cheeks burn with embarrassment but when he tried to move to sit up once again, the firm hands were on his shoulders at once. Embarrassment slowly begun to turn into anger.

"This is ridiculous!" Wolfram cried, trying to sit up once again, but was forced back down. "Laying in your lap will not help the motion sickness!" _And it will do nothing for my pride either_, Wolfram added on silently. But Yuuri would have none of it.

"I am telling you that if you don't see the outside moving and if you don't feel the strong motions of the carriage, you wont feel as sick! It always helped me." Yuuri explained, but gave a small growl as Wolfram tried to sit up once again. "Come on Wolfram! Just try it! And if you don't feel better in ten minutes then I'll leave you be, okay?"

Wolfram tensed for a second as he let the idea float in his head, turning it over a few times. He gave a small sigh, giving up for the time being. "Fine, ten minutes." He repeated firmly, letting his eyes close as another wave a nausea passed over him.

Silence fell in the carriage, letting the two young men sit with their thoughts. Wolfram felt his body relax in Yuuri's lap, his mind slowly becoming more groggy. He hadn't slept much that night and now as he felt himself get comfortable and the motion sickness slowly fading away, his body ached for some sleep. He opened his eyes to keep himself from falling into a slumber and was met by a small smile and kind eyes. He felt the blush return to his face so he turned away slightly, he felt like a child in his mother's lap.

"You can go to sleep, ya know." Yuuri gently cooed, watching with an amused smile as the blond tried to fight off the drowsiness. Wolfram slowly shook his head, his eyes closing shut before they quickly opened again. "It would probably help you."

Wolfram didn't answer, but his eyes slowly closed. Yuuri watched as his breathing became more even and the sickness on his face turned into a peaceful expression. Yuuri watched as the blond slept in his lap, his small smile fading. He had always loved to watch the blond sleep, it always reminded him of an angel. The blond locks gently falling over the perfect creamy skin, the slightly parted pink lips. Yuuri had always considered Wolfram beautiful. Wait, no, beautiful was the wrong word. Beautiful is what you described women with. Wolfram was by no means a woman.

Yuuri watched the blond with a soft expression as he tried to think of the right word to describe his friend. If he had only one word to describe the blond than it would have to be regal. He was strong, determined and prideful. Wolfram possessed so many strong attributes that he screamed nobility. His appearance was elegant, his eyes were like green fire that matched his personality so well. Yet, Yuuri knew that Wolfram was an excellent soldier and that his beauty could fool many enemies into thinking he was weak. He took his duty as top priority. Yuuri felt a twinge of pain deep in his chest as that thought crossed his mind.

Yuuri had once been his top priority. Yuuri had once been everything to the blond prince. He had been his friend, his companion, his king and his...love. Wolfram had once loved him. Yuuri had been very aware of the boy's affections. Not only had he expressed it on more than one occasion, but Yuuri had seen those gazes that fell upon him every once and a while, especially when the blond thought he wasn't looking. That within those deep emerald depths there was a quiet need. A quiet passion that burned brighter than any flame could.

The young king recalled one instance, one that never left his thoughts while he was home, the two of them were sleeping in Yuuri's bed. The Maoh had given up trying to get Wolfram to go to his own room long ago. Yuuri was in the stage between sleep and the dream world when he felt something brush against his cheek. It was warm and extremely gentle. Yuuri didn't open his eyes, sleep too strong upon his eyelids but his ears listened to the quiet words that had been uttered.

_"You will never love me will you Yuuri..._" It hadn't been a question, but a simple statement. Wolfram had sounded as if he had been on the verge of tears as the words were gently spoken. The young king felt the warm presence upon his cheek once again, brushing away a few strands of hair. Yuuri waited to see if the prince would say anything else, but the shift in the mattress told him that the blond had turned on his side to go to sleep. That night, sleep didn't claim him.

Yuuri watched as Wolfram slept in his lap, feeling the old feeling tug at his chest. Perhaps one day he could tell the blond everything he thought. Perhaps one day he would tell him that the only reason he returned was to see him again, but not now. Now he needed to get Wolfram to come home, to forget his duty to the princess and regain himself as the fiery prince he had once been. Yuuri gently swept some of the blond locks out of Wolfram's peaceful face. A sad smile spread across his lips as he watched Wolfram nuzzle into his touch.

"I'm sorry Wolf..." Yuuri whispered, "I'm so sorry."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, Wolfram we're here." Wolfram groaned as someone gently shook him out of his peaceful slumber. He had been having a nice dream too. He cracked an eye open to see a smiling Yuuri above him, noticing slightly that the carriage had been drawn to a stop.

"What...?" He asked, his voice hoarse from sleep. Yuuri gave a small laugh before nodding toward the window to his right. Wolfram slowly sat up, noticing that the motion sickness had left him. He let his eyes travel to the window and saw that the sun was setting off in the distant horizon, the sky lit with a dull cast of oranges and reds. He turned his head toward Yuuri's window and saw a dark building standing against the forest behind it. "A tavern...?" He questioned.

The door opened to reveal the calm face of Conrart, his usual gentle smile upon his lips. "They have room for us." He informed, eyes traveling to the slightly disheveled Wolfram. "Good morning Wolfram." Wolfram felt his cheeks burn from embarrassment before he quickly turned away from the knowing brown eyes of his brother.

"Great!" Yuuri explained happily, exciting the carriage with Conrart's help. "I am starving!" Wolfram watched as the young king patted his stomach as if to further emphasize his point on being hungry. Wolfram felt his own stomach growl slightly at the mention of food, but he knew that tavern's were not known for exquisite meals. The blond slowly exited the carriage, feeling a bit weak in the legs from the long carriage ride. He did much better on horses than he did sitting down on a stiff bench, or sleeping in this case...

Wolfram looked over to the medium sized building in front of him. It had definitely seen better days but it wasn't as run down as some taverns seemed to be these days. The plaster on the building was cracking in some places, falling off in others. The dark oak door showed signs of abuse but still hung firmly onto its henge's. The blond prince could hear the laughter and noise of others inside of the building, the smell of meat and sweat hung in the air. At the very least, he would have a bed to sleep in tonight.

The blond followed Yuuri and Conrart as they entered the old building, the smell hitting him full force. It wasn't as crowded as he had pictured, but there were at least a dozen men thrown about the room. Some where at the bar, chugging down pints of ale while others where helping themselves to the slob this place considered food. The lower level was composed of a few scattered tables, a bar and a small stage off to the far right.

"Why don't you take Yuuri to the bar to order something to eat, I'll go and check the area." Conrart suggested, placing a comforting hand upon the blond's shoulder. Wolfram gave a small nod and his brother placed a small bag of money into the younger demon's hand. Wolfram motioned for Yuuri to follow him as he made his way to the small bar. A few occupants stopped their activities to inspect the new comers, but ended up deciding that they were no threat and went back to their drinking or eating.

The bar tender glanced up from his duty as Wolfram leaned against the counter. "How can I help you?" The man was older, perhaps near his late forties. His hair was thinning on the top and he sported a large red beard. Wolfram gave a small nod, looking to the wooden board that hung on the wall behind the man, noting the day's special.

"I want to order two bowls of the stew." The blond stated calmly, "And two pints." He added after a moment of thought. The bar tender gave a nod of understanding and turned to disappear around the corner. Wolfram took the small bag of money and withdrew a few coins, placing the rest in the pocket of his jacket. The man returned with two large mugs, some foam dripping off the edges.

"That will be 10 gil." Wolfram handed the man the coins and took the jugs. Turning, he handed one to Yuuri who took it with a questioning glance. The blond glanced around the room before he found a suitable table. Making his way around the others in the tavern, Wolfram pulled out a chair and sat down, his back to the wall. Yuuri pulled out the chair next to him, giving the mug a perplexed look.

"It's ale." Wolfram stated matter of factly before he took a swig, the harsh liquid burning his throat as it made its way down his throat. Yuuri turned from the mug to Wolfram, both eyebrows arched up high.

"Alcohol?" He questioned, "Why did you get us this? Why not some water?" Wolfram gave a small smile and shook his head, placing the mug back down onto the table. Yuuri sure could be oblivious sometimes.

"Believe me, you don't want to drink what these people call water." The blond stated with a small smirk. Yuuri gave a small gulp before he turned back to the mug he held in his hand. With a small frown, he brought it up to his lips and took a small chug. His auburn eyes grew wide as he tore it away from his lips, the most disgusted look falling upon his face. Wolfram couldn't help but chuckle as Yuuri pushed the mug far away from him.

"That is the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted!" Yuuri cried, "And I thought bear was gross!" Wolfram shook his head before taking another sip of his own ale, watching as Yuuri made a disgusted face at him.

His eyes moved over to the other side of the table of Conrart pulled out a seat and sat down. "Everything seems fine. I have a few of the soldiers posted around the building just in case." The blond gave a small nod, placing the mug back down onto the table. "Here is your key." He pulled out a large key with an attached wooden panel to it. Wolfram took the key and glanced down at the number it read. Room 12.

"So how much further until Chivron?" Yuuri questioned, eyes widening as a woman placed their food in front of them. The blond watched as Yuuri stared at the mysterious bowl in front of him.

"We made good time today, so within the next two days we should be reaching Northeast port." Conrart explained, an amused expression on his face as Yuuri took up his fork and poked at a floating piece of mysterious meat.

"Would you just eat it instead of poking it?" Wolfram cried out as he stuck his own spoonful into his mouth. No, this food was nothing to brag about. It was however, something to fill the empty stomach.

"Fine." Yuuri grumbled, taking a spoonful and shoving it into his mouth. He jaw clenched as he tried to chew the rubbery meat. "Two days huh? So this place is really far." Conrart nodded, the amused expression not leaving his face as he watched Yuuri force himself to swallow.

"Yes, Chivron is a bit away. It is located further North than I think you have ever been. It is a mild sized country, rich in coal." Yuuri gave an understanding nod, shoveling another spoonful into his mouth.

"Yea, Gwendal filled me in on the details." Yuuri stated, forcing himself to swallow once again. "He also said that their coal supply had run out a few years ago, which was one of the reasons they decided to sign a treaty, huh?" Conrart gave a small nod confirming the information, thankful that his brother had given Yuuri the details on the country. "So how long do we have to travel by boat?" Wolfram felt his stomach lurch just at the thought of traveling on the open sea again.

"We will be on the boat for at least five days, if everything goes well. Than from there we will arrive on the outer skirts of a neighboring country to Chivron called Anozira. From there it will take about four days to reach Chivron." Yuuri gave a small sigh, pushing the half eaten bowl of mysterious stew to the side. Wolfram couldn't blame him, this was a very long journey to make.

"Well," Wolfram stated, taking the last sip of his ale and standing. "I think I will retire tonight." He gave a small nod to Conrart and then to Yuuri, pushing the chair in before he turned to leave.

"Oh Wolfram, leave the door unlock so that Yuuri may come in without bothering you." Wolfram stopped and turned to face his bother.

"Excuse me?" Yuuri glance from Wolfram then to Conrart who gave a small shrug of his shoulders.

"There were a lack of rooms so we had to double up. I thought it be best if you two shared, knowing I could trust his majesty with you." A small growl worked its way up Wolfram's throat before he turned on his heal.

"Fine." He spat, walking away from the table. Yuuri quickly stood, giving Conrart a quick good night before he quickly followed Wolfram.

"Hey! Wait for me!"


	7. Chapter 7

Author Notes: This chapter is a little shorter than the previous, but I didn't want to make it to long so I'm saving the next part for chapter eight. I'm also going to re-vamp the first few chapters because I have finally seen the ending of the series! Yay! It actually made me feel a bit sad because everyone says that there isn't going to be another series, so I suppose we'll never truly see Wolfie and Yuuri get together, ne? Oh well... So keep your eyes open for the re-vamped chapters within the next few weeks. I hope you all enjoy chapter seven!! And thank you to everyone who has reviewed, I don't have time to answer them individually right now but I'll be sure to address them in the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kyou Kara Moah nor any of these characters! Though I'd love to knock some sense into Yuuri...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Open Heart

Chapter 7

Yuuri sat on the edge of the bed, trying to remove his boots. Trying being the key word because he couldn't seem to focus his attention on anything while Wolfram glared at him from across the room. The blond soldier sat quietly in a chair located on the other side of the small room. The room was only big enough to fit a twin sized bed and a small desk near the one window, supporting a single chair that Wolfram now occupied.

The young king could understand Wolfram's dislike in this situation. He couldn't image how awkward this had to be for the blond, considering everything. Finally breaking from the glare, Yuuri proceeded to remove his boots. He was looking forward to getting some sleep after the long carriage ride. The next day wouldn't be any better, if what Conrad stated was true. Yuuri couldn't image another two days of traveling in that cramped box, perhaps tomorrow he could accompany Conrad on horse back instead.

Placing his boots near the foot of the bed, he let his eyes venture over to the blond to wince slightly at the vicious glare that met him. Was Wolfram angry at him? A small frown made its way to his lips as he studied the blond for a moment.

"Find something interesting!?" Yup, Wolfram was definitely angry. Yuuri gave a small sigh before standing. He would have to end this before it got ugly, and after such a tedious day, the young king wasn't quite sure if he could contain his emotions.

"You can have the bed; I'll get an extra blanket and sleep on the floor." He stated calmly, forcing a small smile upon his lips before heading out the door, leaving no time for the blond to argue. He knew that it was better in some instances to just give up, let the other be the victor.

Barefoot, Yuuri made his way down the hall, pondering slightly if Conrad had already gone to bed or if he was still down stairs enjoying a bowl of that mysterious stew. Upon reaching the banister, Yuuri heard a door open from behind him. Turning, he was met with Wolfram, standing a few feet behind, his hand placed upon his hip. The demon gave an annoyed sigh before closing the distance and moving past Yuuri.

"Hey, wait! What are you doing?" Yuuri questioned, deciding it would be best to follow the blond. Green eyes peeked over his shoulder, a bit of annoyance in them but not the venom they had held a few minutes ago.

"Do you actually think I would let a wimp like you walk around this place by yourself?" Wolfram gave a small 'humph' noise before he turned to walk down the stairs leading to the lower level. Yuuri stopped for a second at the top of the stairs, his eyes slightly wide at what the blond had referred to him.

"You called me a wimp…" Yuuri uttered causing Wolfram to turn and look back up at him. Wolfram had called him a wimp a few times since he had returned, but behind the voice there was anger if not a bit of hurt. Yet this time, it had been said casually, enduring almost. It reminded Yuuri of how Wolfram used to say it, back before he had left for earth.

"Well, you are what you are." Wolfram proclaimed calmly, arching an eyebrow as a large smile spread across Yuuri's face. "And you seem to be happy about this...figures." The prince turned on his heel to continue his pursuit down the staircase. Yuuri didn't say anything, not even to argue the fact that he had pretty much agreed with Wolfram, instead the young king followed the soldier down the stairs to find an extra set of blankets.

After about thirty minutes later, and a lot of questioning, the two of them returned to their room empty handed. The tavern had no extra blankets, the owner stating that the blankets they had in the room were the only set they were going to get. Yuuri gave a small sigh as he collapsed into the chair by the window. He glanced to the night sky and frowned when he noticed no stars and that the sky was much darker than usual. It was going to rain. He could feel it. Rain usually meant the temperature lowered a few degrees, and it was already a bit chilly.

"We'll share the bed." Yuuri's eyes shot toward the blond who was sitting upon the edge of the bed, removing his own boots.

"What..?" He questioned, feeling his heart pound inside of his chest. Share a bed? Sure, they had done that before, but the circumstances had been different. They had been engaged! Yuuri quickly shook his head, placing a shaky smile upon his face. "Don't worry about it; I'm fine on the floor!" He proclaimed happily. Stern emerald eyes turned to him, a scowl appearing on his pink lips.

"I don't want to deal with a sick king all the way to Chivron. Things will be difficult enough while you accompany me on this journey. The last thing we need is for your weak human body to fall ill to the cold." Yuuri winced slightly at the cold words and watched as the blond removed his belt and jacket, placing them on one of the wooden poles of the bed. Pulling back the covers, Wolfram laid down, turning his back to Yuuri.

Suddenly, Yuuri wanted to be anywhere but there in the room. He turned his eyes away from the bed and to the window once again. The dark shadows of the trees outside waved their branches in the gusts of wind. Yuuri silently thought about the upcoming day and wondered if the weather would prevent them from making any progress to the Northern port. Giving a small sigh, Yuuri stood and approached his belongings. He removed the contact case and proceeded to take out the brown lenses, letting a few tears fall from his aggravated eyes.

The young king glanced up at the bed and watched the rise and fall of the blanket with Wolfram's breathing. Was he already asleep? Yuuri placed the container back into his small traveling bag and rubbed at his eyes before standing. Just for one moment, Yuuri had believed that he had made some progress with the prince. He had thought that Wolfram was slowly letting him back into his heart. He had been wrong. Was he just fooling himself into thinking that he could convince Wolfram to return with him to Blood Pledge? Had he let himself be filled with empty hope?

Blowing out the wick to the oil lamp that rested on the night stand next to the bed, Yuuri silently removed his own belt and over shirt. He crawled into rough blankets, resting his head upon the pillow that smelled of old cotton. The bed was hard and lumpy, the cotton inside probably far past the due date to be replaced. Yuuri turned on his side, letting his back press against the blonds, the bed far too small to allow any personal space. He knew that he had a limited amount of time to persuade the prince into returning, and as he heard the rain begin to fall outside, Yuuri felt even more disconnected from Wolfram than he had for the past few weeks.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wolfram curled further into himself, trying desperately to get away from the constant touch of Yuuri's back on his. But the wall he was pressed against enabled him to do so. This was not fair and the blond was silently cursing a certain brown-haired brother. He knew that Conrart had done this on purpose, what other motive could he have had to place them into the same room? Was the man insane? Or did he just have a death wish for their king? The blond bit his lip to keep from growling at the thought of his brother plotting against him.

Wolfram's breath caught in his throat as he felt Yuuri shift against him, pressing their backs closer together. The prince squeezed his eyes shut at the warmth from the other person, fighting the need to bury himself into it. This was cruel and unjust. There was no reason at all that Yuuri couldn't have shared a room with Conrart and that only angered Wolfram further. Perhaps he should just sleep on the floor; demons were not as easily prone to sickness as humans were. Besides, he had his fire element to keep him warm.

"You awake Wolfram?" The voice was a whisper, barely audible for the prince to register that Yuuri had even spoken. Wolfram felt his shoulders tense at the question, telling himself to keep silent and let the man think he was asleep.

"Yes…because you can't seem to keep still…" Wolfram grumbled, deciding that if Yuuri had asked that question he probably already knew he was awake. He felt the other stiffen a bit then the bed shifted and the presence of Yuuri against him was gone. Wolfram looked over his shoulder to see the young king sitting on the edge of the bed, his head bowed slightly.

The room was dark so he couldn't see what expression the Maoh held upon his face, he could only make out the dark silhouette. Slowly, Wolfram sat up as well, keeping his gaze upon Yuuri. He let a moment of silence pass, waiting for him to say something or to dismiss the whole ordeal and lie back down. In the darkness, he wasn't able to see the other's shoulder's tremble slightly.

"Go back to sleep, I'll move to the floor." Wolfram stated firmly, pulling the blankets off his body to move off the bed.

"I was wondering if we could just talk." Wolfram froze at the trembling words. Wolfram moved closer to the dark silhouette, flinging his legs over the edge of the bed to sit next to the young king. The blond bit his bottom lip when Yuuri inched away from him.

"What do you want to talk about at this hour, Heika?" Wolfram questioned, trying to keep his annoyance at bay as well as his concern. Yuuri turned toward Wolfram, giving a small smile the other couldn't see.

"You know, you can call me Yuuri..." Wolfram gave a small sigh at the familiar request. He knew he could call the other by his name, it just didn't seem right. What special privilege did he have to refer to his king in such an informal way? "I just think _Heika_ is odd. I mean, I'm just me, Yuuri, you know? It would be like me calling you lord all the time." A sadistic smirk found its way to the blond's lips at that statement.

"But I wouldn't mind if you called me your lord." Wolfram laughed as Yuuri shoved him slightly in the shoulder, causing him to fall back onto the bed. "Get used to _Heika_, it is what people will call you for the rest of your life." The blond stated calmly, pushing himself up onto his elbows, watching as the dark silhouette watched him.

"Yea, I know, but that doesn't mean that I want you to call me that." A flash of lightning temporarily lit the room, causing both men to look to the window. The storm outside roared with sudden awareness, the rain pounding against the window. Another flash of lightning filled the room with light before it faded, leaving the sound of the cracking thunder to echo against the walls.

"Just great..." Wolfram grumbled, pulling himself up to a sitting position. Yuuri turned to face the blond lost in the darkness. "Now the roads will be extremely hard to travel." This was just what they needed, dangerous roads that would take twice as long to travel. Hopefully the storm would go south instead of north, allowing the upper roads to remain dry and decent.

"Well, at least we're in here and not out there." Yuuri reasoned, giving a small laugh. Wolfram sighed, but a smile appeared on his lips none the less. The blond was always amazed on how optimistic Yuuri could stay, even during the most unruly situations.

"Yes, I suppose." Wolfram sighed, fighting a yawn that threatened to arise. "But what did you want to talk about?" He heard Yuuri take a deep breath at the reminder of why they were up so late. His eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness and he could see a little bit more detail upon the young king, especially the troubled expression he held on his face. Whatever Yuuri wanted to talk about, Wolfram decided he wouldn't like it.

"I just wanted to ask you a question, thats all." The blond rose an eyebrow at the sheepish laugh that followed Yuuri's statement.

"Alright, ask." The laughter stopped immediately, followed by a deep sigh. Another flash of lightning lit the room, giving a brief view of Yuuri's downcast eyes and him chewing on his bottom lip. "If your to much of a wimp to ask than you shouldn't have woken me up in the first place." Wolfram grumbled, feeling a bit annoyed at the young king's procrastination.

"It isn't an easy question!" Yuuri explained in his defense, before turning away from the blond sitting next to him. Wolfram let the moment pass in silence, deciding it would probably be best if he gave Yuuri time to conjure up the courage to ask his question. "I guess, I just wanted to ask if there was any chance of us being like we used to be."

It was Wolfram's turn to cast his eyes downward, studying the thick material of the blanket he sat upon. He knew what Yuuri was asking. He was asking if there was any chance of them becoming friends or companions like they once were. After all, that was the only way Yuuri had ever seen Wolfram as, a friend. Nothing more, and nothing less. The blond found himself not wanting to answer the question for he had been asking himself that for many years. Could he give Yuuri another chance, but this time around as a friend? Could he let go of the past and let go of the love that he still knew was there? Could he forgive Yuuri?

"No." He felt black eyes turn to him, searching him in the darkness. Wolfram kept his eyes hidden behind his hair as his hands clenched the fabric of the blanket. Perhaps it was unfair, perhaps it was cruel and selfish, but Wolfram wanted nothing from Yuuri. He didn't want friendship, he didn't want a companion from Yuuri, all the blond needed was for Yuuri to be his King. That was all Wolfram would ever ask from the black haired man. Anything more would only continue to break his already shattered heart.

"Oh." The blond winced at the hurt he heard behind that single word. It would hurt, it would hurt for many more years. Yuuri had always considered Wolfram to be one of his closest friends and for the young prince to deny him that friendship...Wolfram knew what it felt like to be denied something. Especially something you desired with all of your heart. "I suppose thats fair." Green eyes snapped over to Yuuri who was once again starring at his hands.

"Nothing is fair." Wolfram murmured, trying not to let his feelings reflect through his voice. The young king gave a small laugh and the blond watched as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose not, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to fight." Yuuri turned to look at Wolfram then, his eyes glowing, despite the darkness that surrounded them. What Wolfram saw burning behind those eyes caused him to gasp, behind those black depths he saw a promise. Something the blond couldn't quiet comprehend, but it sent chills down his spine. Those eyes were telling him something, screaming at him and despite how hard he listened, he couldn't hear what they said.

"W-we should get to bed..." The blond prince whispered, turning away from those black eyes and crawling underneath the covers, pressing himself up against the wall once again. It was going to be a very long night.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"There is no time to waste! We must continue to move, Weller!" Yuuri flinched slightly as Wolfram growled at his brother, who was standing at their door in the young hours of the morning. The soldier had come and gently rose them from their slumber with news concerning the evening storm.

To get to the Northern port, there was a river that they needed to cross, which usually was no big deal. Conrad had explained that due to the excessive amount of rain the previous evening, the river had swollen almost three time's its original size, leaving them temporarily unable to cross due to safety precautions. However, a certain blond mazoku was having none of it. After Conrad had informed the dire state and stated that traveling would come to a halt at the inn until further notice, the blond's calm had deteriorated. Which, unfortunately for Yuuri, meant a lot of screaming.

"Wolfram, I understand your concern, but we must think of everyone's safety first and foremost." Conrad tried to explain, sounding reasonable to the young king who was sitting on the edge of the bed while Wolfram paced the room clad only in his black pants. Yuuri couldn't help but physically wince at the glare the blond sent to his brother, who stayed completely collected. Yuuri silently pondered over how Conrad could stay so calm with Wolfram yelling at him like that, if it had been Yuuri in the soldier's place, he knew he'd be running away by now.

"Do you think I do not know that?" Wolfram growled, crossing his arms over his chest, "There must be another way, even if it is slightly longer then this quicker route! As long as we continue to travel." Conrad let out a small sigh before looking over to Yuuri with a sympathetic look. Yuuri tilted his head in question, why was he looking at him like that? It wasn't as if the blond's fury was being focused upon him.

"There are several other ways to get to the Northern Port, however, they are all unpredictable and dangerous. We do not know the conditions of these roads or who travels them. It would be best to just wait until the river calms to cross." Conrad tried to explain, his voice was calm but Yuuri could hear the annoyance underneath the casual tone. Wolfram uncrossed his hands and placed them upon his hips, obviously not liking the words his brother had spoken.

"You are aware that I am expected in two weeks, Weller." The other soldier nodded his head to confirm, placing his own hand upon his waist waiting for the blond to continue. "If we do not arrive within this period of time, then it will be considered a physical blow to the country of Chivron. We must utilize the resources that are presented to us and not let any obstacles detain us!"

Yuuri gave a small sigh before falling onto his back, losing interest in the argument. He knew it could go on for hours when concerning Wolfram's pride and Conrad's stern nature. He had to agree with his god-father on his point though, considering all things. If they go into unmarked territory, Yuuri couldn't even begin to imagine what type of dangerous situations they would find themselves in. Besides, if they stayed at the tavern for a few more days it would allow Yuuri time to digest the events of last night.

His chest tightened slightly at the remembrance of the prior evening's discussion with the blond prince. His reply to Yuuri's question still echoing strongly inside the young man's head. It had hurt, but he had expected it to a certain degree. It only went to prove to Yuuri that he had a lot to do to repair the broken bridge between the two. He would have to work hard if he truly wanted Wolfram back into his life. A frown set upon the young king's lips, he was going to fight for Wolfram's friendship and trust. He wasn't going to give up because that would just prove everyone right. It would prove that Yuuri was weak and irresponsible. He would fix the damage he had disposed upon everyone.

"Heika!" Yuuri jumped out of his mental train of thought to look up into a pair of anger green eyes. He felt his cheeks warm when he realized that both pairs of eyes were on him. Wolfram gave an aggravated sigh before pointing an accusing finger in his direction. "You haven't been paying any attention to any of this, have you?!" Yuuri let a sheepish smile spread across his lips, no use denying it if it was true, right?

"Sorry Wolfram, I got distracted by something..." This only proved to anger the blond further. Conrad took a step into the room to prevent the blond from exploding at the young king.

"Wolfram wanted to know what you wanted to do, Heika." Yuuri gave a small sigh at the kind voice, there they went again, calling him Heika. Perhaps he should just give up on trying to have people call him by his name, it appeared to be a losing battle.

"What I wanted to do?" Yuuri repeated, glancing over to Wolfram who now stood at the side of the bed, arms crossed. "With what?"

"I'm going to kill him..." Wolfram growled, heading toward Yuuri with his hand already outstretched. Yuuri quickly scrambled out of the way of the angered blond and proceeded to the safety of Conrad's side.

"Concerning the Northern Port." Conrad explained, letting a small smile of amusement cross his lips when he realized Yuuri was hiding behind him. "If we should proceed despite the dangers of the other roads or if we should wait until the river calms to take the bridge."

Yuuri glanced over to his god-father, then back to Wolfram who stood a few feet away, annoyance clearly written upon his face with a large scowl. Just great, he knew the reasonable answer to that question. It dealt with the whole process of actually waiting, but the look Wolfram was sending him sent chills down his back. Did he truly want to face the blond if he decided to stay at the tavern and wait things out? He could only imagine the evenings to come, a clear mental images of a certain blond demon holding a pillow over his face late at night made the young king wince. No, Yuuri did not want to be responsible for that, but nor did he want to make a poor decision. Why did these type of decisions always tend to fall upon his shoulders?

"Well...?" Wolfram pushed, shifting his weight to one leg. How dangerous could one road actually be? And it wasn't as if they had never met danger before. There had been countless situations where they had befallen ill fate but had survived. What would the difference be? Beside, it could prove to be interesting.

"I suppose we can take the other route." Yuuri stated, straightening himself when he saw the triumphant smirk come to Wolfram's lips. Conrad gave a small sigh, letting the situation slide for now. He gave a small nod, stating that he'd go ahead and prepare the men, then he turned and exited the small room.

Yuuri gave a small sigh and slowly turned to see Wolfram staring at him. His nerves started to tingle as their eyes held onto one other, daring the other to turn away first. It was Yuuri who broke the connection, shuddering slightly as if the room had dropped a few degrees in temperature. Yuuri shook his head slightly to get the feeling to leave before he went to his clothes that were folded neatly on the chair at the single table. He supposed the only thing to do now was to get ready, head down stairs for some breakfast and see if Conrad need ed any help with anything.

Pulling on the brown shirt from the previous day, Yuuri tied the strings at the collar before tucking the material into the dark brown pants he had worn to bed. The young king gave a small sigh as he realized it would be another long day inside that dreadful carriage. Yuuri wrapped the leather belt around his waist and picked up Morgif, who "ooed" at him before he strapped the sword to his waist. As he pulled on his boots, the auburn haired king glanced outside, the sky was still dark from heavy ran clouds and the trees motioned back and forth in the gusts of strong wind. Perhaps it would be better to just stay at the tavern for now.

"Are you just going to sit there all day?" Yuuri's eyes shot up to an already dressed Wolfram, watching him with hand upon his waist. Yuuri gave a small smile before he pulled on his other boot and stood. All he needed to do now was put the contacts back in, which was never easy.

"I just need to put the contacts in, so go on ahead. I'll be there in a little bit." Yuuri watched as the blond demon eyed him cautiously before turning and exiting the room. A small sigh escaped his lips as he made his way to his traveling back, fishing out the containers that held the brown lenses.

"I hope everything goes well..." Yuuri thought out loud as he tried to put the first contact it. The last thing everyone needed was another mess upon their hands. But the prickling on the back of his neck told the young king that this trip wasn't going to go as smooth as he hoped.


	8. Chapter 8

Authors Notes: Okay, first off I'd like to apologize for disappearing off the face of the planet. My life had sprawled out of control and I'm now just getting it back under control. I know that a lot of you have been waiting for this update but please keep in mind I haven't written in it since January… So it's a little short. . But I promise that the next chapter will be heavier and with much more action in it! This chapter is tying into a very long one filled with much needed plot. So just bare with me for a little while longer…

Thank you to all of you who left a wonderful review. I wanted to get to all of them but I just didn't have time or any brain left to think with. But during the next few weeks I hope I can get this story under wraps and off to the good stuff. Thank you for sticking around and I hope you enjoy this chapter!!

Jaz

Open Heart

Chapter Eight

"I can't believe you got us into this mess!" Yuuri gave a heavy sigh as he pushed his shoulder into the backside of the carriage. Wolfram was doing the same on the other side, glaring at the young king through narrowed eyes. "I wanted to go left but no, you had to decide to go right because it didn't look as '_threatening_'!" Wolfram growled, shoving his shoulder against the hard wood of the carriage.

"Well you're the one who wanted to leave the inn!" Yuuri retorted, his patience growing thin as his feet slipped in the thick mud below. He was already covered in the thick clay, as was Wolfram. They had come to a fork in the road and Conrad had reported that either way would eventually get them back to the main road so he had left the decision up to Yuuri. Upon deciding to take the right passage, against Wolfram's opinion on going left, they had come upon a very unstable road. And now their carriage was stuck in extremely thick and messy clay-like mud. "If we hadn't left at all then this wouldn't even happened!"

Conrad and a few others were trying to get the carriage free from the front side, urging the horses forward and pulling on the harness. Yuuri didn't bother to look toward the blond; he was already feeling the intense heat of his glare. It had been a very long morning, filled with bumps and harsh words. The sun was passing through a cloud heavy sky, making the weather seem much cooler then it actually was. The clouds were threatening rain any minute, which was why they were trying so hard to get the carriage out of the mud before the situation worsen.

"Why you little…" Wolfram growled as he removed himself from the carriage and quickly closed the gap between them. "Are you suggesting that we are in this predicament because of me?!" Yuuri took a step back from the blond, a frown coming to his thin lips. Wolfram stood before him caked in mud, his once clean uniform disoriented and a complete mess. His blond hair plastered to his face from sweat and the damp air that surrounded them. Yuuri couldn't imagine himself looking much better, especially considering the fact that he had already fallen face first into the mud one too many times.

"Alright you two…" Yuuri turned to see Conrad coming around the carriage, the smile still upon his lips but a hint of irritation in his eyes. "This is not the time to figure out who is to blame. We have to get the carriage free before it starts to rain again." As if on queue the sun was swallowed by a large foreboding cloud, the first droplets of rain falling from the sky.

"Just great…" Wolfram mumbled annoyance clear on his voice. Once again, the two took up their positions against the carriage; Conrad finding his way between the two younger boys to help push the wheel out of the mud. Yuuri gave a small sigh as he shoved his already sore shoulder against the hard wood. He knew that he was to blame for this situation. If he had just decided to stay at the Inn until the river calmed, they wouldn't be fighting like this…nor would they be covered head to foot in mud.

Together, the three pushed against the carriage and after a few tries the wheel finally released from the mud. The men up front pulled the horses forward and away from the danger of getting stuck again. Conrad gave a satisfied nod before turning to the younger two. "It would probably be best if we wait to clean up. The faster we get out of the rain the better…" Yuuri gave a nod in agreement as he made his way back to the carriage, climbing quickly into the small sitting space.

The young king sat down on the satin seats, looking out the side window to the gray clouds. The sun was still hidden behind the thick curtains of clouds, casting a gray shadow over the already murky landscape. Yuuri wanted nothing more then to get to an Inn and sit in front of a warm fire. The cold mud had frozen him from the inside out and the constant arguing with Wolfram was doing nothing for his already aggravated nerves. Yuuri couldn't think of this day getting any worse for him or any one else.

He felt the carriage move as Wolfram entered, taking the bench opposite of him. He could feel the intensity of the young soldier's eyes on him but he didn't turn to meet his gaze. He was done with the fighting and the arguing. He had received his answer to his question and now he was slowly beginning to understand that the blond had no desire to mend their broken friendship. The double black pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the window, closing his eyes as he felt the carriage jerk into motion. '_Please,´_ He thought, _'Just let this day end…'_

It was another two hours before the group reached the next inn. By then the rain had been ripped from the heavens and unleashed full force. When the carriage came to a stop, the door was thrown open with Conrad urging them quickly into the inn. The young king was the first to push through the old oak door of the building, the creaking hinges barely audible over the pounding of the rain. Yuuri had never felt so tired in his life. He was physically weak and mentally drained.

There were no tables visible on the floor, no loud groups of traveling companions or the smell of strange spices in the air. The only other person Yuuri noticed was an older woman wearing a worn out gray dress. Her once brown hair was streaked with white and tied up in a lose bun. Yuuri watched her quietly, their eyes meeting in a silent hello. He heard the door shut behind him, the sound of the rain being dulled. Conrad approached the woman but Yuuri didn't bother to listen to their conversation. All the young man wanted was a wash bin, a bed and warm blankets to sleep in.

Silently, he glanced to his side where Wolfram stood, arms crossed over his chest. Yuuri could sense that there had been no change in his attitude, especially because the scowl he wore was still present upon his features. His attention then returned to Conrad as he approached him with a small iron key.

"It seems that the inn only has three available rooms tonight." Conrad stated, his eyes making a silent apology. "However, one room offers two beds." Yuuri took the key that Conrad held out to him, turning the key in his hands, the cool metal feeling good against his hot skin. It was going to be another long night with Wolfram. A night filled with unanswered questions, silent curses and the tension that had been building all day. Yuuri gave an inward groan as he shoved the key into his pocket.

The double black didn't need to inform Wolfram about their situation because he already felt the intense glare the blond was giving him. He gave Conrad a small nod before heading down hall toward the rooms. Taking the key out, he pushed it into the lock and turned it to hear the clicking of the door being unlocked. Pressing his shoulder into the wooden frame, Yuuri let the door slide open. An empty room greeted him.

Was this why he returned to Shin Makoku? Was this the reason he decided to sacrifice his family and his life on earth for? To be hated by his supposed good friend? To be despised by his people? To be looked down upon by his council? Did he sacrifice life to feel completely alone? To feel guilty about a war he had no control over? His throat tightened as he entered the room slowly, the darkness of the storm outside casting the small room in pitch black. The floor boards underneath his feet creaked as he moved to where he thought a bed would be waiting. He had left Earth in hopes to return to the same place he had left as a teen. He had left his family in hopes of becoming the king that everyone thought he was. He had returned to complete his duty as the Demon King. To unite the humans and demons, to rebuild a better world filled with peace and understanding.

Yet, as Yuuri stood in the middle of the dark room he felt as if he had only let everyone down by returning. He had returned 20 years after he had left. He returned to a country scared by a recent war, by recent losses and shattered dreams. His life here in the demon kingdom had already been erased and he had become nothing but a memory. Yuuri felt the tears sting at his eyes as the events of the past few weeks came back; the image of his adopted daughter grown and married. He wasn't there to see her grow, to experience the happiness of her wedding or the birth of her daughter. He wasn't there to say goodbye to Gunter, to apologize for everything he had done.

It was as if the strength his legs gave out and the air in his lungs had all of a sudden become extremely thin. Yuuri stumbled over to the bed, feeling the rough cotton covers against his sensitive skin. His head was spinning with a dull ache and the young king wanted nothing more then to slip off into slumber. He knew that he should strip of the muddy clothes, to freshen up and wash the dirt from his hands and face. Yet as he rested his head against the mattress of the bed, Yuuri's eyes felt heavy and his body beckoned him to the quite darkness of slumber.

…………………………

Wolfram peered at himself in the foggy mirror that hung in the room Conrart was staying in. He had freshen up in the wash bin available in the room, instructed his older brother that he didn't feel like dealing with the king at the moment. The blond knew that he was about to snap and if he had to deal with the double black more then he had too, his frustration would be unleashed against his king. Placing the wash rag next to the bowl, Wolfram turned away from the mirror to find his brother sitting on the single bed.

The look of concern on Conrart's face made the frown reappear on the younger Mazoku's lips. It was the look that Wolfram had become very acquainted with over the years. It was his brother's method of asking the blond if he wanted to talk about a current situation or issue he was dealing with. Even though their relationship had strengthened over the years, Wolfram still had problems confiding in his older brother. Talking about his personal feelings had always been one of the prince's problems and seemed to hold true even as he aged.

"If the rain keeps up like this we may want to consider a different route." Conrart offered, distracting both of them from the pressing matter on hand. Wolfram gave a small, aggravated sigh.

"We wouldn't be in this situation if the Heika had listened to me and chose the left route instead of the right." Conrart gave a small smile as the blond stomped over to the window to glance outside. The storm was still active, the trees bending in the harsh wind and the rain pounding against the glass. It had already been well over thirty minutes since their arrival and the storm had only worsened during the small period of time.

"Wolfram…" Conrart began, "If I remember correctly, you were the one who was pushing to continue despite the weather and current situation of the roads." The blond felt his shoulders tense at the older man's statement. He knew that it had been his decision to keep going even though the proper route had been temporarily disabled because of the swollen river. However, that did not change the fact that Yuuri had led them into this situation.

Wolfram stopped and winced inwardly. Even as he said this situation was due to Yuuri's decision he couldn't help but feel guilty. Despite everything and the blonds own stubborn nature, he knew that this had happened because he had pushed to leave. They would still be at the large inn, which had a fire place and food, waiting for the river to calm so that they could pass on the safer route. But that did not mean he was going to admit defeat or that he was going to apologize to the double black. Yuuri shouldn't have even accompanied them on this journey.

Wolfram turned to leave, nodding goodnight to his brother as he passed through the door and letting it close behind him. His body ached from the rough events of the day and he wanted nothing more then to get a good nights rest; especially since the prior night had been spent pressed against a cold wall. At least tonight would be spent in separate beds, if nothing else. Hopefully tomorrow would bring better luck with their travels and the weather.

The blond stopped short as he noticed the door to their bedroom was cracked open. Instinctively, the blond reached for the sword that hung at his hip, his hand gripping the hilt as he listened for any disturbance. A moment passed before he pushed the door open, eyes searching the darkness for any strange movement. Yuuri was no where to be seen, but even with his demon eyes it was hard for Wolfram to see in the pitch dark of the small room.

Moving to where he knew to be a small table, he felt the surface for what he hoped to be lantern of some type. Upon finding a small candle holder, the demon quickly conjured up his element, the flame sprouting to life on the pathetic excuse of a candle. The blond quickly scanned the room only to have his heart stop short. Yuuri laid sprawled on the floor, his head and arm resting on one of the beds. Sweat adorned his now gray skin, his mouth slightly open to gasp in ragged breaths of air.

Wolfram's hand fell from the hilt of his sword as he raced over to the passed out Yuuri, fear consuming his mind as he pulled the limp body in his arms. Pressing his hand against Yuuri's forehead the blond immediately winced at the burning hot skin that met his touch. Wolfram felt his chest tighten with panic as he held Yuuri close to him. When they had departed only thirty minutes ago Yuuri had been fine, now he was unconscious and burning with a high fever. Wolfram did the only thing he could think off, he screamed for help.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Moah belongs to its rightful owners and not me. I'm just a silly fan girl who finished watching the series and wasn't pleased with the outcome. ;-D

Author's Note:

Alright, so here is chapter nine and let me just tell you that it is only HALF of the original chapter I wrote. I decided to break it into two because it ended up being around 12 pages long. And for me personally, that was just a little bit too long. So be expected chapter 10 within the next few days.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. It meant a lot to me to see that people were still interested in finding out what would happen. In this chapter there is finally some development between Wolf and Yuuri…but Wolf is still keeping his guard up none the less. :-D Hope you guys enjoy this next part as much as I did writing it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Open Heart

Chapter Nine

_The sun was shinning brightly in the vivid blue sky, warming the cool grass that Yuuri laid upon. His back was slightly damp from the morning dew that had gathered on the green blades but the warmth of the sun thawed the chill. He rested his arm against his head, shielding his eyes from the bright rays of the early afternoon. It was a beautiful day, everything was so clear and fresh that Yuuri couldn't help but sigh in contentment. _

_A shadow rolled over his face, his view of the blue sky being replaced by golden locks and intense, annoyed, green eyes. Yuuri gave a sheepish grin up to his fiancé who only glared in return, his hands already upon his narrow waist. Slowly, the double black king pulled himself up into a sitting position, stretching his arms above his head in a carefree manner. _

_"What do you think your doing?" Yuuri blinked a second before turning to face the blond, something was a bit off but the young king couldn't quite place it. The blond tapped his foot impatiently for Yuuri to answer. "If you think I'm going to set everything up myself, you are very mistaken." _

_"Set…everything up?" Yuuri repeated, his eyebrows pulled together in a slightly confused expression. Yuuri glanced around the surrounding area only to find a very large oak tree, the branches swaying slightly in the light breeze. Below the large tree sat a red blanket, assorted foods and snacks resting upon the material. A picnic? What had happened to the inn? "Where is Conrad?" Yuuri turned to face the blond whose annoyed expression quickly faded into one of puzzlement. _

_"Conrart?" Wolfram repeated the name, arching a slender eyebrow in question. "He is back at the castle with Gwendel…preparing for the evening events?" The blonde's statement was asked in such as way that Yuuri felt he should have already known this piece of information. But what were the evening events? Did they already make it to Chivron? What had happened between the inn and now? Yuuri couldn't seem to remember any of it yet it really didn't bother him. He was having a picnic with Wolfram and that was the only thing he needed to know. _

_The young king pulled himself up from the sitting position and dusted off his black school uniform. It was a perfect day for eating outside. It would be amazing if Greta could join them but Yuuri knew that she was busy with her studies. The young girl had her future to prepare for and Yuuri wasn't about to distract her from that. The double black made his way to the food laid out on the red sheet, the shade of the tree providing comfort from the warm rays of the sun. _

_Plopping down, Yuuri pulled out a few of the plates that had assorted cheeses and crackers and pulled back the plastic wrap before placing them onto the red sheet. He glanced up to see Wolfram joining him, a warm smile spreading across his features. The blond was wearing a simple white button up shirt, the usual ruffles around his long neck and thin wrists. The shirt was perhaps one size to large for the boy's small frame, but it fell nicely around his waist un-tucked. Tighter doe-brown pants were tucked into knee high riding boots, the usual sword that hung about his waist could be seen placed against the tree the provided them the shade. _

_"What are you looking at wimp?" Yuuri jumped slightly at the sudden words and looked up to see amused green eyes starring back at him. Yuuri gave a small smile and shrugged his shoulders. Yuuri wanted to tell the young blond that he was observing the sudden change in clothing but the words died upon his lips. Fear griped at his heart as a sudden chill ran down his spin. _

_The world around them had suddenly turned gray, the once green grass wilting into a dull brown color. The tree groaned as leafs fell from the branches, dancing around the two wildly. The sky darkened with thick black clouds, blocking the golden rays of the sun from warming the now chilled air. In the distance Yuuri could hear screams as smoke begun to rise from where he knew the city stood. He could see the embers of the fire falling from the dark sky. _

_"Wolfram, what..." Yuuri's words died on his lips as he turned to see his friend now standing. Wolfram stood before him, no longer the happy teenage boy he had been a moment ago, but as a soldier. Armor clung to his filled out frame, the sword that had been resting upon the tree now held tightly in his hand. The once vivid green eyes dulled, the fires that surrounded them reflecting in the depths. Blood could be seen descending down his once porcelain cheek, his blond hair dirty and clinging to his features. _

_Yuuri slowly stood, his eyes stinging from the smoke that begun to surround them. Wolfram shook his head as he took a step back. The blond's eyes narrowed with such hatred that the young king felt his knees weaken from the intensity. Yuuri watched as Wolfram mouthed something but the words died upon the screaming of the fires and the people of the town behind them. _

_The double black found himself reaching out to his friend despite the fear clinging to his body. Yuuri yelled out to his friend but no words came, his throat was hoarse from the smoke. Wolfram's eyes lost the hostility that they had been wearing, only to be replaced by a sadness Yuuri couldn't describe. Wolfram slowly shook his head once again before turning away from the young king. The blond raised his sword to the black sky, his scream rising above the fire. Yuuri could do nothing as he watched his friend, his companion charge forward into the blazing flames. _

'Yuuri…' _The young king looked toward the dark sky, a few tears running down his cheeks. How could he have let all of this happen? Why didn't he try harder to stop his friend? Yuuri squeezed his eyes shut as more tears ran down his cheeks, his knees failing beneath him. He felt sick, the fires were burning his skin and the smoke made his throat burn. "Wolfram…" He murmured, his friend was gone and it was his fault._

"Yuuri." The double black opened his eyes once again to find himself in darkness. The smell of fire had disappeared and the screams had vanished. Slowly he turned his head to the side to see Wolfram sitting at his side, a worried expression upon his face. The blood was no longer there and the armor had been removed, but the dull light still masked his green eyes.

Yuuri quickly turned away from the blond, his heart aching as he realized that he had only been dreaming. A very realistic and vivid dream, but nothing more. The image of Wolfram in the armor, sword raised and prepared to run into battle was permanently burned into the depths of his mind. He felt a cool hand being placed upon his forehead and he turned slightly into the touch. It felt good against his burning skin even though a chill ached his body. When the hand withdrew, Yuuri swallowed the groan of protest and turned to see why the hand had been removed. Wolfram gazed at him with the same worried expression.

"You still have a fever." Wolfram murmured, a sigh escaping his lips. A fever? Yuuri turned his black eyes away from the blond and took in his surroundings. He was laying in a bed he was not familiar with and far to itchy to be any at Blood Pledge castle. The room was small and had a dusty scent to the chilled air. Yuuri spotted another bed across the room and memories flooded back to him. They were on their way to Chivron so that Wolfram could marry some human princess. It had been a rough day spent in thick, extremely cold mud. When they had arrived to the inn, Yuuri had gone to the room he would be sharing with the prince…but then something had happened…

"What…" Yuuri voice was hoarse and died on the second word. Yuuri tried to clear his throat but was met with a sharp pain and burning. A single finger laid itself upon his dry lips and his eyes darted over to a pair of concerned emerald gems.

"Don't talk." Wolfram stood from the chair, removing his finger tip from Yuuri's lips. Yuuri noticed that the chair Wolfram had been sitting in was located at the edge of the bed he was laying in. The young kind wasn't sure why this bit of information fascinated him, but he did as he was told and kept his mouth shut, eyes fixed upon the chair.

At the sound of water being poured his eyes followed the blond to the other side of the room where he was pouring a glass of water from a small pitcher. Wolfram turned and made his way back to Yuuri's side, the glass in hand. Yuuri felt his tongue dart out and lick his lips at the sight of water. He had no idea he had been this thirty and the idea of the cool liquid running down his burning throat delighted him. Wolfram brought up his free hand and moved it behind Yuuri's shoulder blades; helping the young king to a sitting position.

"Here." Wolfram held the glass of water to Yuuri's lips and tilted the glass slightly upwards. Yuuri was more then willing to receive the water, opening his mouth to allow the cool liquid to flow down his sore throat. Once Wolfram was satisfied Yuuri had taken enough water, he removed the glass and placed it down on the floor. Yuuri reached up and wiped away a few stray droplets of water with the back of his hand. "You were passed out…" Yuuri looked over to the blond to see him looking down at his lap, hands clenched together and trembling slightly.

"Wolf…" Yuuri whispered in a concerned tone, but Wolfram gave a small sigh to end any other words from the young king.

"I had never been so…so terrified." Green eye moved from his lap to snatch Yuuri's dark ones. They locked eyes for an intense few minutes before Yuuri looked away; the image of Wolfram from the dream forcing the young king to look anywhere but at the blond. "When I walked in you where passed out on the floor with an extremely high fever…" Wolfram continued in a low whisper, barely audible for Yuuri to hear.

A knock at the door silenced the blond and Yuuri looked up to see Conrad walking into the room. When the older man saw that Yuuri was awake a true smile graced his lips. Yuuri returned a weak smile as he watched Conrad approach them. "Why don't you take a break Wolfram?" Conrart suggested, placing a hand upon his brother's shoulders. Wolfram quickly shook it off with a shrug of his shoulder and an irritated sigh.

"I am fine, Weller." The blond retorted before standing from the chair. "I've been watching over Yuuri since I found him, I'm capable of doing so until morning." Yuuri's heart skipped a beat as he looked up at Wolfram in surprise. He had been by his side since he found him? Even with all the fighting they had done during the day? Confusion quickly replaced the surprise as the events of the other night replayed in Yuuri's head. Hadn't the young soldier stated that he wanted nothing to do with Yuuri? Didn't Wolfram say that they could not, would not, rebuild their lost friendship?

As if sensing the young king's distress, Conrad approached him and placed a warm hand upon his cheek. "You still have a fever, Heika. It would probably be best if you went back to sleep." Conrad removed his hand then, a gentle smile upon his older features. Yuuri looked up at his god-father and returned the warm smile. Conrad then turned to face Wolfram, who was now standing next to the window looking out into the darkness of the night. "Let me know if you change your mind." Wolfram didn't bother to answer him and Conrad gave a defeat shrug. He turned to glance at Yuuri before turning and leaving the small room.

"Wolfram." The blond turned to once again look at Yuuri. Yuuri had settled back to laying down upon the bed and had brought the covers over his chilled arms. "Thank you…" He hadn't even turned over to his side before his eyes felt heavy with sleep and his body relaxed into the mattress.

"Yuuri…" He heard Wolfram whisper, "You idiot." The words were lost to the now sleeping king as his mind entered the realm of dreams, but the smile of being called by his name crept across his lips.

-o-o-o-o-

Wolfram sat at the edge of Yuuri's bed watching the young king dream peacefully. It was well past midnight but the blond had no desire to get any sleep. His first priority was making sure Yuuri would hold out during the night. What worried him the most was that they had no decent food for the young king to eat, nor any type of medication to give to him. If his memory served the young prince correctly, humans could easily die from a common cold without treatment. _Though,_ his mind rationalized, _Yuuri isn't your average half demon. Even if his human nature were to perk up during a cold, he wouldn't fall that easily._

Wolfram leaned back into his chair, his eyes focusing on the dark ceiling above. Out of everything that could have happened, Yuuri had fallen ill. Wolfram would much rather of had a gang of bandit's attack them then deal with this. He was on some type of emotional ride since he had found the double black passed out. He wasn't sure if he should be angry at the young king for not telling anyone he had been feeling ill or if he should be feeling sorry for his prior treatment to Yuuri. However, as the hours passed, Wolfram found himself sincerely concerned for the well being of his ex-fiancé.

He knew twenty years ago he would be playing nurse, chasing everyone away that wanted something to do with his…with Yuuri. A small sigh escaped his lips as he turned his attention back to the sleeping king. The fever had died down but was still there. Yuuri was no longer sweating and his skin had regained some of its color. In fact, the blush on Yuuri's check due to the fever was actually kind of charming. As if Yuuri was blushing due to something that startled the young king. Wolfram gave a small smile as he reached over and swept some of the stray hairs out of the young man's face.

It had been moments like these that Wolfram had treasured in the past. Where Yuuri would be oblivious to his antics and Wolfram could just enjoy being with him. Wolfram let his eyes travel across Yuuri's face, soaking in the small details that had changed over the years. His jaw line had grown stronger, making him appear more masculine instead of boyish. His cheek bones had also grown more defined, adding a touch of class to his features. The small trace of stubble could be seen across the side of his face and down his jaw. The idea of Yuuri shaving made Wolfram snort with amusement. Yuuri was no longer the boy Wolfram had known. He was a man, much like Wolfram himself. It was strange to think about but as his eyes traveled across the form hidden underneath the thick blankets, Wolfram's image of the old Yuuri slowly began to fade. Instead it was being replaced by a handsome black haired man that lay sleeping before him.

Wolfram closed his eyes as he folded his arms across his chest. Things were going to get difficult if they continued in the path they were heading. Wolfram had a long time to think from the moment he had placed the unconscious Yuuri in the bed till now. He had allowed the fear of finding Yuuri unconscious disappear and be replaced by confusion. When the blond had time to settle down and rethink the events that had played out he had been startled at what he had found.

The very idea of Yuuri being in troubled made his whole body tingle with an uncomfortable feeling. Despite everything that happened, Wolfram found himself sincerely worried and concerned about Yuuri. The feelings of betrayal and abandonment had faded quickly in the presence of the idea of losing him again. To lose him again…Wolfram gave another annoyed sigh as the thought echoed in his mind. In such a short period of time Yuuri had already moved back into the blonde's heart, with or without Wolfram's permission.

The blond quickly stood and moved over to the window, the cool air around the glass feeling good upon his skin. If Yuuri had truly succeeded in captivating his heart once again that left Wolfram in an extremely difficult position. Would he go through with the marriage to the human princess? The blond shook his head as he corrected that though, could he go through with it? Wolfram took a moment to ponder over this idea as he watched the wind bend the trees outside of the inn.

If he were to cancel the wedding they could all go back to the Blood Pledge and continue on. Sure, the treaty could be broken but Yuuri was back. Even if the human did want to declare another war, Yuuri would be able to talk them out of it. Or even yet, the human would be too afraid to do anything since the demon king had returned. A frown slowly formed upon the blonds lips as another possibility occurred to him. Would Yuuri even do anything if the humans did declare war? The double black had enough trouble as it was to deal with confrontation but dealing with a war? How would Yuuri handle that?

The blond stole a glance at the sleeping king as he thought of how he would handle the situation. If the young man had changed any during the years, Wolfram could honestly see him accepting his responsibility as King. Yet, if Yuuri had not changed and still kept the optimistic and pessimistic outlook on life…a war would be a fatal ending to the demon kingdom. Wolfram recalled the young boy who swore he would never allow any living soul to be harmed…and the many unpredictable situations they found themselves in because of it. Wolfram silently knew that Yuuri wouldn't be able to face a war or even come to terms with one. Also, the blond would never allow himself to be cause of a threat against his country and people.

He turned his attention back to the storm out side and felt a heavy weight placed upon his shoulders. There was no future for him with Yuuri, even if he could forgive the demon king for what he had done. Everything that he had felt for Yuuri had died years ago and what he felt now was the hope of something that could never be. Wolfram's destiny was not to be part of Yuuri's world. He didn't want to be placed into that position again, always following Yuuri in hopes that one day the half demon would feel something toward him. That one day he could love him. Wolfram's heart had hardened, his walls had been built and now he would do what was best for his future. What was best for his kingdom's future and the future of the demon race. Wolfram would marry the human princess to ensure the future would come with peace.

-o-o-o-o-

"I'm fine Conrad!" Yuuri stated with a half smile on his lips. Conrad stood across from the demon king, a stern expression upon his features. Yuuri was sitting on the edge of the bed he had spent the night in, pulling on his last boot. "I know you're worried but my fever has died down and I'm not feeling dizzy at all. I got a good nights rest and if I take it easy today there should be no trouble."

Conrad gave a small sigh, reaching up to scratch his head to think about the situation. The older man had came early in the morning to find Wolfram asleep on the edge of Yuuri's bed, still sitting in the same chair he had left him in that evening. Yuuri was sound asleep as well; his condition had obviously improved during the late hours of the night.

Now, Wolfram had left the room to find some type of breakfast and Conrad was trying his best to convince Yuuri to rest until his fever broke. However, the young king would hear none of it, insisting that they continue on their travels; stating that they were already behind on schedule. Conrad placed his hand upon his hip as he watched the double black move across the room to a large porcelain bowl filled with warmed water. The captain couldn't quite place it but something was different about Yuuri. He brushed it off, reasoning that his god-son was sick with fever and of course he wouldn't be the same.

"I understand that Heika, but we don't want you to become ill with something far worse." Conrad continued on with his argument, watching as Yuuri splashed water onto his face, scrubbing away the last of the dirt from the day before. "If you were to catch something on the more serious note, then we would be out of options." His statement was met with a muffled chuckle as Yuuri rubbed his face dry with a small towel.

"You worry too much." Yuuri placed the towel down next to the bowl and turned to face Conrad with a winning smile.

"And you do not worry enough." Both men turned to the door to see Wolfram entering with a small bowl and some biscuits on a tray. The blond moved over to the round table that sat next to the entrance and set the tray down. "Your health needs to return before we set off again." Wolfram continued, looking up at Yuuri and motioning him to the table to eat.

Yuuri sighed a bit in irritation, rubbing the back of his neck as he made his way over to the table. He understood where the concern was coming from yet the young king also knew that he would be able to tell if he was to sick to continue. Despite his body aching and the constant chill he felt fine. Well, at least fine enough to sit in a carriage all day. Part of him was feeling irritated at the fact everyone was treating him like a kid, as if he didn't understand that being sick in a world that had no advances in the medical field was a dangerous situation for a human. However, Yuuri recalled that during all of his 20 years of living he never once had to depend on medication to resolve a simple cold.

The young king picked up the bowl and watched as the thin liquid moved gently within its confinements. He could hear Wolfram and Conrad talking about his health but he couldn't pay attention. He didn't want to listen to them bicker about what was the right decision or what he had to do. He could make his own decisions; he could follow his own path without everyone always playing his safety net. He wouldn't allow his own weaknesses to get in the way of others anymore. Yuuri placed the bowl back down onto the table and took in a deep breath before turning around to face his comrades.

"We are going to continue Conrad." The young king stated firmly, hoping his face relayed the same message as his voice did. He left no room for argument as he turned on his heel and walked through the still open door. Yuuri was tired of always being second guessed and looked after as if he was nothing but a child.

A small ache formed in his chest as the last thought echoed through his mind. They had no reason not to treat him like a child; after all he had disappeared for 20 years on this world. They all thought he had abandoned his role as their king and left them to deal with their fates. However, it was about time Yuuri showed them otherwise. That he was indeed ready to take his responsibility as their king. That he had grown up into a fine young man without the childish aspects he once held. Yuuri was ready to walk down the road that was his destiny, to be the Demon King that everyone wanted him to be.

With a renewed strength, Yuuri walked out into the crisp air of the morning, turning his face up into the warm rays of the raising sun. Today was the beginning of a better tomorrow. Yuuri would make sure that everyone became aware that the demon king had returned.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Author's Notes: WOO! Is Yuuri finally beginning to understand that he needs to shape up before he can work on getting Wolf back? And has Wolf let down some of his walls, regardless if he wanted to or not!

Next Chapter: On their way to Chivron the gang (that sounds so 70's but oh well…) falls into a little trouble with some bandits. Can Wolf and Yuuri put aside their differences until they're rescued? Or will their battle continue despite the fact that Yuuri's fever is back full blown? Find out in the next chapter! (That sounds so cheesy…it's not that cheesy…I promise…)


End file.
